enjeux du business plan

6 exemples de business plans qui ont fait leurs preuves

Vous avez un projet de création d’entreprise et vous vous apprêtez à approcher des banques, investisseurs, partenaires, etc. ? Vous allez avoir besoin d’un business plan pour prouver votre rentabilité ! Un exercice fastidieux pour certains, mais qui a l’avantage de se contraindre à penser stratégie, organisation, financement, trésorerie, et développement. Une fois achevé, votre business plan vous servira de fil d’Ariane tout au long de votre activité !

Business plan d’entreprise : rappel des basiques

Qu’est-ce qu’un business plan .

Le business plan est un document essentiel pour toute entreprise dès sa création… ou plus tard ! Il consiste en un plan détaillé qui décrit la vision, la stratégie et les objectifs d’une société. À l’externe, le business plan sert à prouver aux investisseurs / banquiers, et autres partenaires que vous avez bien réalisé une étude de marché avant de concrétiser votre projet de création, et que votre business a du potentiel. En interne, il aide à prendre des décisions éclairées et réalistes, en fournissant une feuille de route claire pour le développement de l’entreprise. Le business plan sert le plus souvent à : – Clarifier la faisabilité de son projet au moment de la création de son entreprise ; – Obtenir un financement ; – Trouver un partenaire ; – Solliciter un investisseur ; – Vendre /acheter une entreprise ; – Affiner ou revoir sa stratégie d’entreprise ; Etc.

Composition d’un business plan type

Il n’y a pas de business plan idéal. C’est à vous de raconter l’histoire de votre entreprise, dans l’ordre qui vous convient le mieux pour convaincre, ou selon vos besoins. Cependant, pour être complet, un business plan comprend généralement les éléments suivants :

• Executive summary  : introduction concise présentant qui vous êtes et votre projet d’entreprise.
• Description de l’entreprise : présentation de votre entreprise, son histoire, sa structure et sa mission.
• Étude de marché : analyse du marché cible, des concurrents, et des opportunités de développement.
• Stratégie marketing : plan détaillé pour commercialiser votre produit ou service, atteindre votre public cible et vous démarquer de vos concurrents.
• Structure organisationnelle de l’entreprise : présentation de la hiérarchie, des rôles clés et de la gestion de l’entreprise.
• Produits ou services : description détaillée de ce que vous proposez et de sa proposition de valeur unique.
• Plan financier : prévisions financières (chiffre d’affaires prévisionnel), y compris les revenus, les dépenses, les flux de trésorerie et les projections à long terme.
• Analyse de risques : identification et évaluation des risques potentiels pour l’entreprise.
• Stratégie de croissance : plan pour la croissance future de l’entreprise et les opportunités d’expansion.

Si le « plan de votre business plan » est essentiel, n’oubliez pas aussi d’en soigner la forme : des slides claires, concises, sans erreur… qui reflètent vos valeurs & votre sérieux. Si vous devez le partager, veillez à le transmettre sous forme de document PDF. En bref, votre business plan doit refléter l’identité de votre projet. À lire aussi : Analyser et résumer vos PDF en un clin d’oeil avec ChatGPT

6 modèles de business plans d’entreprise

En choisissant le bon business plan et en l’adaptant à votre projet, vous maximiserez vos chances de succès. Inspirez-vous de l’un de ces modèles, et fabriquez votre propre trame pour élaborer un business plan solide qui répondra à vos objectifs !

Exemple de business plan n°1 pour un projet de création de société de conseil

1 – Expertise : quel est votre projet ? Décrivez votre domaine d’expertise spécifique dans le conseil. Mettez en avant vos compétences, votre expérience et vos avantages par rapport à vos concurrents.

2 – Segment de marché : présentez ensuite votre public cible, et décrivez les besoins et les problèmes spécifiques auxquels vous répondez. Expliquez quel plan vous comptez déployer pour atteindre ces clients et construire des relations durables avec eux.

3 – Offre de services : décrivez en détail les services que vous proposez et comment ils répondent à des besoins identifiés. Mettez l’accent sur la valeur ajoutée que vous apportez et démontrez comment vous aiderez vos clients à atteindre leurs objectifs.

4 – Modèle économique : comment allez-vous générer des revenus et combien en facturant votre offre de conseil ? Établissez un plan prévisionnel : écrivez votre structure de tarification, votre stratégie de prix et vos projections financières (trésorerie, investissement, etc.).

5 – Plan marketing et promotion : élaborez une stratégie marketing pour atteindre vos clients potentiels. Quels canaux allez-vous utiliser : médias sociaux, marketing de contenu, autres canaux de communication pertinents pour augmenter votre visibilité et établir votre crédibilité. Par exemple, installer vos locaux dans un espace de coworking afin de profiter des mises en relation au sein de la communauté, etc.).

👋 Points de vigilance à mentionner dans votre business plan : soyez conscient des fluctuations du marché, de la concurrence accrue et des évolutions technologiques qui peuvent avoir un impact sur votre projet. Restez à l’affût des nouvelles tendances dans votre domaine, et adaptez votre business plan en conséquence. À lire aussi : Bien choisir ses prestataires de service

Exemple de business plan n°2 pour un projet de création de boutique de vente en ligne

1 – Niche : identifiez votre créneau de marché spécifique et déterminez le type de produits que vous allez proposer. Faites des recherches approfondies sur votre marché cible et identifiez les tendances émergentes pour avoir un coup d’avance.

2 – Plateforme en ligne : choisissez une plateforme de e-commerce électronique adaptée à votre projet. Assurez-vous qu’elle offre une expérience utilisateur optimale, des fonctionnalités de paiement sécurisées et une intégration facile avec d’autres outils de marketing et de gestion.

3 – Stratégie de vente : décrivez votre stratégie de vente en ligne, y compris vos canaux de marketing, vos efforts de référencement/ SEO, vos campagnes publicitaires et votre présence sur les réseaux sociaux. Mettez en avant votre proposition de valeur unique pour attirer et fidéliser les clients.

4 – Gestion des stocks et logistique : votre plan d’affaires doit permettre de comprendre comment vous allez gérer vos stocks ; quel sera le traitement des commandes, la logistique des livraisons, etc. Assurez-vous d’avoir des systèmes efficaces en place pour répondre à la demande et offrir une expérience d’achat fluide.

5 – Service client : mettez l’accent sur la qualité du service client. Comment répondrez-vous rapidement aux attentes et aux nouvelles envies ? Quelles options de retour et de remboursement ? Quel suivi de votre réputation en ligne ?

👋 Points de vigilance à mentionner dans votre business plan : soyez attentif à vos concurrents en ligne, à l’évolution des préférences des consommateurs et aux problèmes de cybersécurité. Restez à jour avec les dernières tendances de l’e-commerce et adaptez si besoin votre business plan.

L'EXPÉRIENCE CLIENT : Challenges et enjeux

Vous êtes Auto-entrepreneur.e Dirigeant.e Salarié.e Étudiant.e Autre

Exemple de business plan n°3 pour une activité de dépannage/réparation/bricolage

1 – Services : identifiez les services de dépannage / réparation / entretien spécifiques que vous offrez. Mettez en avant vos compétences techniques, vos éventuelles certifications, votre expérience et votre réputation dans le domaine, la façon dont vous vous tenez informé.e des évolutions, etc.

2 – Marché local : assurez-vous que votre projet de création répond bien à un besoin. Présentez votre évaluation de la demande de vos services dans votre région et identifiez votre marché cible local. Analysez la concurrence existante sur votre activité et déterminez comment votre entreprise va se démarquer… en offrant une prestation de qualité supérieure !

3 – Infrastructure et équipement : décrivez votre infrastructure, votre local, vos équipements et vos ressources nécessaires pour fournir vos services. Assurez-vous d’avoir les outils et les installations adéquats pour répondre aux besoins de vos clients (pièces détachées en stock, délai de commande, etc.).

4 – Tarification et rentabilité : établissez un plan d’affaires détaillant une structure tarifaire compétitive et justifiée pour vos services. Faites une analyse des coûts (notamment des pièces détachées) pour déterminer vos besoins en trésorerie, le seuil de rentabilité de votre activité et établissez des projections financières réalistes.

5 – Marketing local : prévoyez un plan de marketing local pour attirer les clients de votre quartier/région : publicité ciblée dans les journaux locaux, les annuaires en ligne et les médias sociaux. Sollicitez des témoignages de clients satisfaits pour renforcer votre crédibilité et asseoir votre activité.

👋 Points de vigilance à mentionner dans votre business plan : votre entreprise doit être prête à faire face à des imprévus et à des demandes de dépannage urgentes. Assurez-vous de disposer des ressources nécessaires pour répondre rapidement aux besoins de vos clients. Tenez compte des exigences réglementaires et des normes de sécurité dans votre secteur d’activité.

Exemple de business plan n°4 pour une activité de restauration/traiteur 

1 – Analyse du marché  : présentez les tendances et les besoins de vos clients cibles qui ont fait naître votre projet. Parlez des nouvelles attentes (vegan, offre de saison, etc.). Observez la concurrence : quelles ses forces et faiblesses selon vous ?

2 – Proposition de valeur  : parlez du positionnement précis de votre entreprise par rapport aux concurrents et ce que vous avez à offrir de différents/mieux/plus malin/plus responsable, etc.

3 – Stratégie marketing  : comment allez-vous atteindre et fidéliser vos clients ? Dégustation sur les marchés, partenariats avec d’autre commerçants, distribution de votre carte dans les boîtes aux lettres, etc. ?

4 – Structure et organisation : quelle structure juridique adaptée à votre projet, choix du statut de l’entreprise, composition de l’équipe, gestion des extras… Où allez-vous héberger votre entreprise, stocker vos denrées, cuisiner ?

5 – Produits et services  : décrivez précisément les produits et services offerts (autrement dit, votre carte) par votre entreprise. Quels seront vos processus de production, approvisionnement en matières premières et gestion des fournisseurs ? Décrivez les mesures prévues pour la qualité, l’hygiène et la sécurité alimentaire.

6 – Plan financier  : présentez vos prévisions financières sur une période définie (par exemple, 3 ans). Élaborez un plan de financement avec identification des sources de financement. Estimez votre seuil de rentabilité et enfin, détaillez la façon dont vous allez gérer votre budget et votre trésorerie !

👋 Points de vigilance à mentionner dans votre business plan  : évaluez tous les risques liés à l’activité de restauration/traiteur. Les normes alimentaires, la gestion des stocks, le transport des denrées… Prévoyez un plan d’action d’entreprise pour les atténuer et les gérer. À lire aussi : Plan de continuité d’activité : pourquoi faire et comment ?

Exemple de business plan n°5 pour un projet de de conciergerie

1 – Présentation de votre activité  : définissez le concept de la conciergerie et son importance selon vous dans le contexte des usages modernes. Précisez quel sera votre cible : luxe, particuliers, touristes, B2B ?

2 – Analyse du marché  : décrivez l’état du marché de la conciergerie et de ses tendances actuelles. Identifiez les besoins des clients et leur typologie : particuliers et/ou entreprises ? Analysez la concurrence et évaluez les opportunités et les défis.

3 – Proposition de valeur : présentez votre vision de la notion de service et vos valeurs (disponibilité, créativité, adaptabilité). Puis, listez les prestations que vous imaginez proposer dans le cadre de votre activité.

4 – Modèle économique et rentabilité : quelles seront les sources de revenus et les flux de trésorerie ? Définissez le chiffre d’affaires prévisionnel, les coûts opérationnels, les marges bénéficiaires et les prévisions financières de votre entreprise.

5 – Marketing et acquisition : comment prévoyez-vous de vous faire connaître et attirer vos clients ? Évoquez l’importance d’un service irréprochable et de leur fidélisation.

6 – Structure juridique et organisation administrative de l’entreprise : présentez les rôles et responsabilités clés au sein de votre équipe. Parlez de l’importance de la spécialisation de vos intervenants et de leur formation continue pour maintenir un haut niveau de service.

👋 Points de vigilance à mentionner dans votre business plan : votre entreprise doit être assurée pour couvrir les éventuels litiges ou accidents. Anticipez des horaires de travail souples / élargis selon les besoins de vos clients (et les heures supplémentaires dans votre plan de financement).

Exemple de business plan n°6 pour un projet de reprise d’entreprise

1 – Executive summary : rédigez unesynthèse de votre business plan en première page pour présenter les points forts du projet, les écueils à éviter et les priorités d’action. 

2 – Vous : présentez-vous (ainsi que vos associés le cas échéant). Parlez de votre expérience et de votre motivation.

3 – Votre projet de reprise : détaillez les modalités de reprise et de passage de relais (rachat du fonds de commerce, rachat des titres, location – gérance, reprise seul.e ou avec des associés, montage juridique, etc.). 4 – Présentation générale de l’entreprise envisagée : historique de l’entreprise, son organisation générale, son business plan (!), sa clientèle, ses fournisseurs, etc. 5 – Produits/offre de l’entreprise : présentez les prestations fournies, leurs points forts et leurs points d’amélioration, ainsi que les perspectives de développement d’activité que vous entrevoyez. 6 – Concurrence : évoquez le secteur de l’entreprise, la concurrence, les évolutions et innovations.

7 – Projet de développement : présentez icivos projets d’amélioration : approche commerciale, communication, gestion des ressources humaines, etc. Puis les moyens nécessaires pour réaliser ces actions (moyens humains, techniques et financiers). 

8 – Dossier financier  : démontrez que votre projet de reprise est rentable à court terme ! Montrez que vous avez analysé la situation financière de l’entreprise à reprendre (bilans, chiffre d’affaires, rentabilité, compte de résultat d’exploitation, etc.). Détaillez votre dossier de financement prévisionnel et la stratégie financière envisagée. À lire aussi : Piloter une entreprise en Budget Base Zéro (BBZ)

Comment se faire accompagner pour rédiger un business plan ?

Vous voyez de quoi il retourne, mais vous n’êtes pas à l’aise sur toutes les parties de votre futur plan d’affaires ? Vous craignez d’être incomplet, ennuyeux ou vous n’êtes pas sûr de votre modèle économique ? Faites-vous accompagner, ou faites relire votre business plan par des experts. Plusieurs solutions sont à votre disposition.

Les chambres consulaires

Les CCI (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie), CMA (Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat), etc. ont pour mission de soutenir le développement économique et les entreprises de leur bassin d’implantation. Elles disposent notamment de conseillers spécialisés dans la création ou la reprise d’entreprise : ces derniers pourront vérifier votre business plan et/ou vous guider dans son élaboration. Les chambres consulaires proposent en outre des formations (payantes) pour aider les créateurs d’entreprises à réaliser leur business plan.

Les réseaux spécialisés

Les associations de financement ou d’aide à la création et la reprise d’entreprise ont elles aussi vocation à accompagner gratuitement l’entrepreneur dans la rédaction de son business plan. Deux exemples qui mettent en relation des bénévoles chevronnés et des créateurs d’entreprise : – Le Réseau Entreprendre – Le Réseau Initiative France .

Les experts en business plan

Vous avez aussi la possibilité, pour faire votre business plan, de vous faire accompagner par un expert dédié (payant). Les experts comptables seront précieux sur la partie plan de financement et prévisionnel. Les conseils d’un coach spécialisé aideront à réaliser un business plan d’entreprise dans les règles de l’art. Un investissement qui en vaut la peine : ce document vous accompagnera tout au long de la vie de votre entreprise… en le mettant bien sûr à jour régulièrement selon l’évolution de votre activité.

Bonus : les espaces de coworking

Enfin, rejoignez un réseau de coworking pour vous soulager de toute la gestion des services généraux, bénéficier de services clés en main et bénéficier d’un soutien supplémentaire et élargir votre réseau professionnel. De tels espaces accueillent nombre de jeunes entrepreneurs qui sont, comme vous, en phase de création, mais aussi des entreprises de tous secteurs et de toutes tailles. L’occasion d’échanger sur vos problématiques et pourquoi pas, de gagner de nouveaux clients !

En conclusion, concevoir un business plan idéal pour son d’entreprise nécessite une compréhension approfondie des enjeux spécifiques de son projet. En suivant les points clés mentionnés ci-dessus, vous serez en mesure de rédiger un business model complet et convaincant ! N’oubliez pas d’adapter ensuite votre plan en fonction des évolutions du marché et des nouvelles opportunités : un tel document doit suivre l’activité de votre entreprise.

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Le business plan

Accueil » Vie de l'entreprise » Le business plan » Créer un business plan en 4 étapes (+ outils gratuits)

Créer un business plan en 4 étapes (+ outils gratuits)

Mis à jour 29/03/2021

Qu’est-ce qu’un business plan ? Quelle sont les 4 étapes-clés d’un business plan réussi ? Existe t-il un modèle de business plan simplifié et gratuit ?

Passage obligé pour tout entrepreneur souhaitant passer des partenariats ou obtenir des financements extérieurs, le business plan concerne en réalité toutes les entreprises, même les plus petites. C’est une étape essentielle qui permet de clarifier le projet et de mesurer sa rentabilité.

Mais au-delà de l’objectif économique, élaborer un business plan permet aussi de faire le point et de prendre conscience des enjeux et du potentiel de sa future entreprise.

Voici tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur les étapes de création d’un business plan.

Business plan : définition et rôle.

Définition : Le business plan est un document rédigé et chiffré décrivant un projet entrepreneurial dans son ensemble.

Le business plan peut être utilisé comme document interne à l’entreprise ou au contraire être communiqué dans l’objectif de convaincre des partenaires potentiels. C’est le cas lors des démarches de recherche de financement : le business plan devient alors un outil de présentation concrète du projet.

Pour donner au business plan une dimension réaliste et pertinente, il est important de respecter les 4 étapes de sa conception.

Créer un business plan en 4 étapes.

Elaborer un business plan ne s’improvise pas. Si vous manquez de temps ou de compétences, n’hésitez pas à faire appel à des structures d’accompagnement en montage de projet.

Chacune des 4 étapes suivantes peut être déclinée en une série d’actions interdépendantes qui affineront votre perception du projet.

Etape business plan n°1 : Collectez les informations.

Dans un premier temps, il vous faudra réaliser une analyse du contexte du marché, sur le plan macro-économique et micro-économique.

Les informations récoltées dans cette étape du business plan devront permettre de répondre aux questions suivantes :

• Quelle est votre vision du projet ?
• Quels sont vos objectifs (principal et secondaires) ?
• Quelles sont vos missions ?
• Qui fait partie de l’équipe ? Il faudra démontrer la pertinence et la complémentarité des profils.
• Quels sont les freins et les leviers des compétences à acquérir ?
• Quel est votre marché ? Quel est son niveau de maturité et son évolution ?
• Quelle est la taille du marché en volume et en valeur ?
• Quels seront vos produits / services ? A quels besoins répondent-ils ?
• Qui sont vos concurrents ? Où se trouvent-ils ? Quelle est leur stratégie ? Comment communiquent-ils ?
• Quels seront vos avantages concurrentiels ? Ceux de vos concurrents ?
• Où allez-vous implanter votre entreprise et pourquoi ? Quelle sera votre zone de chalandise ?
• Qui seront vos clients ? Où se trouvent-ils ? Quelle est leur réaction face à votre produit / service ?
• Qui seront vos fournisseurs ?
• Quels seront vos circuits de distribution ?
• Quelle sera votre politique de prix ? Quels éléments l’ont favorisée ?
• Quelle sera votre stratégie commerciale ?
• Y a t-il des contraintes réglementaires à votre activité ? Quelles sont-elles ? Comment y remédier ?
• Quelles sont vos prévisions financières au démarrage et à 3 ans ? Quelles seront vos capacités d’autofinancement ? Et vos besoins de financement ?

Ces différentes informations essentielles seront récoltées grâce à :

• une étude de marché rigoureuse : voir notre article Comment faire une étude de marché ? 7 étapes simples
• l’ analyse PESTEL ,
• le business model canvas.

Etape business plan n°2 : Réalisez une synthèse des éléments.

Afin de rendre lisible et accessible votre business plan, il vous faudra faire une analyse synthétique des informations.

Cette étape n’est pas simple : faites un tri dans les données et conservez les informations les plus pertinentes et les mieux documentées. Visez la cohérence du raisonnement.

Etape business plan n°3 : Rédigez et mettez en page le dossier.

La rédaction du business plan peut s’avérer très chronophage si l’étape de synthétisation des informations a été bâclée.

Votre business plan doit être rédigé de façon concise, précise et structurée. Il se doit aussi d’être agréable visuellement. Optez pour l’insertion de données graphiques, elles allègeront le contenu rédactionnel.

Visez la cohérence dans la chronologie des sections abordées.

Aucune norme n’est imposée quant à la forme, mais adaptez votre document à vos interlocuteurs.

Voici un exemple de répartition en chapitres :

• executive summary,
• présentation de l’équipe et du porteur de projet,
• présentation du projet lui-même,
• partie économique,
• plan d’actions,
• partie financière,
• partie juridique,
• éventuelles annexes.

Enfin, prenez le temps de faire relire votre document final.

Remarque : pour garantir la confidentialité de business plan, spécifiez le caractère confidentiel sur le document et insérez en pied de page le nom du destinataire ; envoyez le dossier en format PDF non-modifiable.

Etape business plan n°4 : Présentez et défendez votre projet.

Pour bien présenter son business plan, il est nécessaire de le maîtriser sur le bout des doigts : ne présentez que des informations que vous êtes sûr de bien comprendre !

Il est également important d’actualiser régulièrement les informations de votre business plan, car certains marchés évoluent très vite.

Travaillez votre executive summary et votre pitch pour rendre votre présentation percutante dès les premiers instants d’attention : c’est souvent là que tout se joue !

Nos modèles gratuits de business plan.

Cliquez ci-après pour télécharger nos modèles gratuits de business plan :

• modèle d’étude de marché Word
• exemple de business plan pré-rempli
• exemple de business plan pour start-up
• modèle Excel de business plan financier (modèle simple et idéal pour présenter vos chiffres)

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" Permettre une compréhension globale de cette technique et fournir des clés d'analyse constitue l'enjeu de ce livre "  Riskassur

Présentation du livre

Les investissements font de plus en plus l’objet d’une étude préalable détaillée, ou business plan, dans les entreprises, auprès des banques ou des investisseurs. Permettre une compréhension globale de cette technique et fournir des clés d’analyse constitue l’enjeu de ce livre, à travers : •  des méthodes et des outils pour concevoir un projet, évaluer sa rentabilité et ses risques, le présenter et réussir à le vendre ; •  des réponses à toutes les questions qui se posent aux différentes étapes de la vie du plan , des plus générales aux plus complexes : mener une analyse stratégique, bâtir des prévisions d’activité, calculer la rentabilité, choisir le bon taux d’actualisation… Illustrée d’exemples détaillés et de nombreux graphiques, cette 4e édition est enrichie de fiches et cas pratiques pour être encore plus efficace. Elle contient un exemple inédit de business plan ainsi que des conseils pour la rédaction et la présentation de celui-ci. Cet ouvrage s’adresse à tous les acteurs, responsables financiers, contrôleurs de gestion, responsables de projets, banquiers et investisseurs, amenés à bâtir un business plan ou à prendre la décision d'investir.

En complément de l’ouvrage, des fichiers Excel en ligne  vous offrent une trame directement utilisable de calcul de rentabilité et prévision financière.

Sommaire de l'ouvrage

Définir le business plan. Mener une analyse stratégique. Réaliser une analyse financière. Présenter son projet. Bâtir des prévisions d'activité. Les paramètres financiers du projet. Les critères financiers de sélection  d'investissement. Choisir le bon taux d'actualisation.  Élaborer la prévision financière. Évaluer l'entreprise par les flux de trésorerie prévisionnels. Évaluer les risques. Présenter son business plan. Trucs et astuces pour réussir son business plan.

En complément de l'ouvrage, les fichiers Excel suivants constituent une trame directement utilisable de calcul de rentabilité et prévision financière. • Les feuilles du fichier "Modèle financier" contiennent ces tables : 1. BFR normatif 2. Rentabilité économique 3. Plan de financement 4. Compte de résultat 5. Emprunts MLT 6. Bilan 7. Ratios 8. Plan d'amortissement 9. Prévisions d'activité et d'investissement • Le fichier "Cas Mexique" reprend les tables de l'annexe 2.

2 Compléments

Auteur(s) de l'ouvrage.

Caractéristiques du livre

Ean ebook : epub, suggestions personnalisées.

Autrement, vous ne pourrez pas être pris au sérieux…

Par ailleurs, l’executive summary littéralement traductible en « résumé d’entreprise » permet d’introduire l’activité de votre entreprise. Le lecteur de votre business plan le découvre en 1er lieu.

C’est pour cette raison que je vous conseille plutôt de le rédiger cette partie en dernier lieu.

En effet, travailler sur les autres parties de votre business plan permet d’obtenir une meilleure vision d’ensemble. Ainsi, l’executive summary synthétise aux mieux votre activité et les éléments qui traduisent sa pertinence.

Si votre executive summary ne capte pas l’intérêt du lecteur dès le départ, la suite de votre business plan n’attisera pas son intérêt

En moyenne, cette partie du Business plan se rédige sur 1 à 4 à pages et représente environ 10 % du volume de votre document.

Étape 2 : Analyse du marché

En réalité, cette étape est la vraie étape n° 1 que vous devez attaquer pour commencer à rédiger votre business plan. 

L’analyse du marché permet d’entrer dans le vif du sujet et d’évaluer la viabilité de l’opportunité business que vous considérez.

Ceci inclut des informations sur le problème que vous souhaitez résoudre, votre cible, votre produit et votre service tel qu’il pourraient évoluer dans un environnement compétitif.

Cette étape permet d’aller plus loin et d’élaborer le propos que vous décrivez de manière succincte dans votre executive summary.

Quel problème résolvez-vous ?

Le point de départ de tout projet d’entreprise s’inscrit dans l’identification d’un problème à résoudre dans un marché. 

L’équation est simple : 

Pas de problème = Pas de solution = pas de business

Plus ce problème est douloureux pour le client, plus votre entreprise maximise ses chances de réussir à commercialiser une solution.

Les Anglo-saxons parlent de « Paint points » ou points de douleur pour désigner le problème auquel vous allez apporter une réponse. 

Posez-vous les questions sur les principales difficultés que rencontrent les clients. À titre d’exemple, cela peut être :

• L’accessibilité à un produit ou un service (Exemple de Glovo)
• Le prix (Exemple de Free mobile)
• Le confort et le gain de temps (Apple)
• Le service après vente (Garantie, politique de retour, Darty ?)
• Le service client (Amazon)
• L’amélioration d’un processus interne (Hubspot)

Pour valider la réalité d’un problème, l’étude de marché et l’enquête/sondage auprès de clients potentiels représente un atout. Elle permet en effet de valider votre projet.

Si vous êtes entrepreneur, je vous recommande de contacter vous-même des personnes afin de récolter du feedback et de mieux comprendre votre marché. 

L’erreur classique : baser la construction d’une entreprise sur des suppositions de problème existant. 

Pour une démarche sérieuse, évitez cela à tout prix.

Poser des questions et comprendre les attentes de vos prospects est indispensable pour réussir à rédiger un Business plan convaincant.

Dès que vous aurez identifié, vérifié et valider le problème, vous serez en mesure de décrire une solution réellement pertinente et une offre adaptée. 

La bonne démarche est d’expliquer comment vous prévoyez d’offrir votre solution sur ce marché.

Quel marché considérez-vous ?

À qui prévoyez-vous de vendre cette solution ? Une autre erreur commise lors de la rédaction du business plan : manquer de clarté.

• Qui sont vos clients potentiels ? Combien sont-ils ?
• Qu’achètent-ils déjà pour répondre à ce problème ?
• Combien paient-ils ? 
• Quelles sont leurs frustrations ?

Selon l’idée de business que vous avez choisi de mettre en œuvre, vous répondre avec plus ou moins de détail.

Vous devez donc essayer d’estimer la taille du marché en (nombre de clients, chiffre d’affaires ou volumes) ainsi que ses perspectives de développement dans le futur. 

N’ignorez pas cette étape. 

Il serait en effet dommage de vous lancer corps et âme dans la poursuite d’un marché en déclin ou qui apporte peu d’opportunités.

Quel segment allez-vous cibler ?

Un segment de marché représente un groupe de prospects dont les besoins et des comportements d’achats sont semblables. 

Pour mieux comprendre cette notion, je vous invite à lire ce PDF sur la segmentation.

En effet, une fois le marché sélectionné et décrit dans sa globalité, l’étape qui suit et de le diviser en différents segments pour y déployer la stratégie de communication adéquate .

Cela vous permettra d’indiquer au lecteur de votre business plan quel segment vous choisissez de poursuivre en priorité. 

Par exemple, si vous souhaitez offrir des solutions aux freelancers : un de vos segments de marché pourrait être les infographistes ou encore les professionnels du montage vidéo.

Un business plan efficace ne se limite pas à identifier un segment de marché cible. Vous devez veiller à également à présenter ces tendances (croissance ? Contraction)

Pour cela, la méthode classique est le TAM, SAM and SOM

• TAM : « Total Available Market » la taille totale du marché (les freelancers)
• SAM : « Segmented Addressable Market » la portion que vous ciblez (les infographistes)
• SOM : « Share of the market », la part du marché que vous pourriez saisir sur une période de 3-5 ans.

Qui sont vos clients ?

C’est à cette étape que l’idée du « buyer persona » ou personne de l’acheteur devient cruciale. À ce stade vous devez décrire qui serait votre acheteur idéal en restant détaillé possible :

Dans le cas des infographistes freelancers, imaginons que notre client parfait s’appelle “Patrick” :

• Quel est son expérience, son niveau d’étude, sa catégorie socioprofessionnelle
• Quel âge, sexe ? Quel lifestyle ?
• Quels objectifs ? Quels challenges vit notre ami Patrick ?
• De quoi a-t-il besoin ? Utiliserait-il des services similaires ? Si oui ? Qu’est-ce qu’il le frustre ? De quoi est-il satisfait ?
• Quel est son environnement professionnel ? Social ? Technologique ? Quels sont ces centres d’intérêt ?

La réussite de votre business plan dépend entièrement de si vous réussissez à bien comprendre ce Patrick.

Si vous avez du mal à répondre à cette question, c’est que votre solution est trop centrée sur vous-même et pas assez sur votre client potentiel.

Mise en garde : veillez à ce que ce Patrick ne soit pas une personne trop unique autrement vous aurez du mal à prospecter de nouveaux clients.

Cette approche devient autant pertinente en BtoB. Quand vous vous adressez aux entreprises, votre client idéal occupe probablement une position (DRH, Direction communication…) au sein de cette entreprise que vous ciblez. 

En plus de cela, je vous invite à identifier les noms des entreprises à cibler et stratégiques pour la réussite de votre entreprise. 

Qui sont vos concurrents ?

Si vous aucun concurrents directs ou indirects n’apparait, c’est qu’il n’existe pas de marché… et que vous êtes entrain de le créer. 

Dans ce cas, soit votre projet revêt un caractère novateur dont l’ambition est disruptive (Exemple les smartphones qui ont fait disparaître les téléphones classiques) ou alors vous vous êtes planté dans votre ciblage et votre analyse. 

Bien que je ne doute pas que vous soyez un entrepreneur hors pair, souvent, c’est plutôt la deuxième option.

Dans ce cas, retournez à la section « Quels problèmes résolvez-vous »

La question à vous poser reste simple : qui offre des solutions substituables aux vôtres ? Ou encore des solutions similaires qui résolvent le même problème, mais d’une autre manière ? (Exemple : Les TGV et les vols internes).

Mais surtout combien sont-ils et quel avantage compétitif allez-vous confronter ? Veillez à inclure concurrents directs et indirects. 

Le lecteur de votre business plan doit comprendre que vous n’êtes pas juste un nouvel acteur lambda qui risque de ne pas faire long feu sur ce marché.

Quelles perspectives pour ce business plan ?

Tout entrepreneur sérieux se doit d’avoir une vision à long terme . 

Même si au départ votre business plan va poser la structure initiale et offrir les lunettes au lecteur pour comprendre votre projet d’entreprise. Il peut être intéressant d’inclure quelques lignes sur le développement à plus long terme (au-delà de 5 ans) envisageable pour votre structure.

Je vous recommande vivement de réaliser une analyse des 5 forces de Porter comme expliqué ici

Étape 3 : Stratégie & opérations

L’étape d’analyse du marché, même si elle a pu représenter un travail important a probablement dû enrichir votre réflexion sur ce projet entrepreneurial.

Aussi, votre opportunité devient claire, mais il reste à définir comment vous allez mettre en place votre projet d’entreprise. 

Dans la section stratégie et exécution, l’objectif consiste à expliquer comment vous prévoyez de pénétrer le marché et au travers de quel management commercial  ? Quelle stratégie marketing ? 

Quel positionnement ?

Comment souhaitez-vous être perçu par votre cible ? Simplement, vous devez définir si vous souhaitez offrir la solution premium? Le produit bon marché ? Ou quelque chose entre les deux

Votre approche reste cruciale, car elle va définir la position de votre proposition de valeur dans un environnement compétitif. 

Vous devez donc éclaircir votre avantage compétitif par rapport aux autres. 

Exemple de positionnement

Pas besoin de vous lancer dans la rédaction d’un essai. Restez concis et adoptez un format simple du type :

Ce produit résout XYZ problématique auprès d’ABC cible. Contrairement à concurrent A, concurrent B et concurrent C, la solution se distingue par (votre avantage compétitif).

Vous devez capitaliser sur l’analyse stratégique et compétitive de votre marché pour la confronter à votre matrice SWOT. (Forces, faiblesses, opportunités et menaces)

Une fois cela réalisé, vous serez en mesure de définir votre positionnement grâce aux différents éléments de marketing-mix.

Quelle stratégie digitale ?

N’oubliez pas une chose cruciale : l’objectif de votre stratégie de marketing digital doit suivre des KPI précis.

Je considère que les 2 plus importants sont de :

• Renforcer votre image de marque et votre expertise
• Générer de nouveaux leads/prospects

Si aucune stratégie digitale n’est prévue, vous risquez de ne pas être pris au sérieux en tant qu’entrepreneur. 

Comment prévoyez-vous de construire votre présence sur le web ? Sur les réseaux sociaux ? Prévoyez-vous de construire un blog ? Veillez à préciser ces éléments dans les grandes lignes

Menez votre réflexion en termes de ROI sans vous mettre la pression de créer votre présence partout. (Au risque, au final de n’être efficace nulle part.)

Quel média choisir pour rester pertienent et acquérir de nouveaux clients ? 

Utilisez votre positionnement marketing pour choisir ce qui conviendrait le plus à votre business modèle. 

Les stratégies de promotion digitale sont nombreuses, mais si l’on part du principe que vous démarrez votre entreprise :  

Essayez d’être succincts et de montrer que vous avez défini des canaux d’acquisition de clients digitaux qui demeurent cohérents avec votre business plan.

Quelles actions commerciales ?

Le marketing et le digital constituent des piliers essentiels de votre business plan… 

Mais pour le sublimer et en tirer le maximum, vous devrez mettre en place un plan d’action commercial concret.

À cette étape de votre business plan, vous devez décrire comment vous prévoyez de vendre vos produits et services aux segments de clientèle ciblés. 

Vous devrez expliquer le cycle de vente que vous allez mettre en œuvre pour générer du chiffre d’affaires régulier :

Cette section passe donc par un processus de vente adapté et reproductible :

Pas besoin d’essayer de réinventer la roue, un modèle de vente universel que vous pouvez adapter est :

• Prospection (générer de nouveaux pu_rospects)
• Qualification (s’assurer qu’il s’agit réellement de clients potentiels)
• Présentation (démontrer que votre produit résout un problème chez ce prospect)
• Traitement des objections (s’assurer de bien répondre aux objections de ventes classiques)
• Négociation (Quelle est votre marge de manœuvre, soyez préparés)
• Conclusion (cette belle signature sur le contrat de vente, comment l’obtenez-vous ?)
• Références (ce n’est pas fini, il faut nourrir la relation et obtenir des recommandations)

Je vous invite à consulter ce guide pour créer votre plan d’action commercial en 4 étapes.

L’opérationnel ? Ça se passe comment ?

L’efficacité opérationnelle est la clé de voûte de la réussite de votre entreprise. 

Votre business plan est un document important, mais tout ceci ne restera qu’un joli exposé, si vous n’expliquez pas concrètement et selon quels processus votre plan d’affaires s’applique.

Selon la nature de votre activité, cette section peut changer. Pour simplifier, il va falloir expliciter (toujours de manière succincte) les éléments suivants : 

• Quelle logistique/sourcing ? (Achats de marchandises, production industrielle, sous-traitance)
• Quelle distribution ? (Points de vente, ventes BtoB, commerciaux terrains ? e-commerce, partenariats)
• Quelles ressources ? (humaines, technologiques, actifs immobiliers, R&D)

Votre business plan peut mêler beaucoup de stratégies… Le diagnostic interne de votre entreprise peut vous aider à identifier l’efficacité de vos actifs. 

Quel chemin, quelles étapes ?

Disposez sur une carte les éléments de votre planification stratégique en gardant une cohérence avec vos prévisions de ventes.

Quelles étapes définissent le développement de votre entreprise ? Quels moyens mobilisez-vous ? De quelles ressources avez-vous besoin pour atteindre vos objectifs et passer à l’étape suivante de votre entreprise.

Il est important de préciser et de séparer ce qui relève de vos hypothèses (ce problème existe, je le sais) du tangible (j’ai 100 emails de clients potentiels où il est clairement indiqué que le problème existe)

Tout ceci doit rester cohérent avec votre vision et justifie les potentielles demandes de financement qui pourraient vous animer.

N’oubliez pas que le business plan, en plus d’un document de référence, reste un formidable exercice. Il permet de réaliser la transition entre l’émergence d’une idée et une entreprise…

Si votre entreprise a déjà été lancée, n’hésitez pas à réaliser l’inventaire des réussites et des constructions que vous avez accomplies :

• Partenariats stratégiques
• Présence digitale
• Clients satisfaits 
• Demandes spécfiques de prospects

Cela permet au lecteur de votre business plan de se rendre compte que ce projet a dépassé le stade d’idée.

Étape 4 : Organisation et management

Votre équipe.

Le lecteur de votre business plan a besoin de connaître le(s) CV du(es) porteur(s) du projet d’entreprise.

Lorsque vous rédigez votre business plan, à cette étape, présentez votre équipe, les associés existants et les employés.

Au final, le succès d’une entreprise se reflète par la qualité de ses ressources humaines.

Ne négligez pas cette étape et en particulier si vous recherchez un investisseur. 

Au final, plus que des idées ou des projets d’entreprises, nous investissons surtout dans des compétences clés et des personnalités inspirantes.

Pour concrétiser votre vision, je vous invite ici à réaliser un organigramme pour votre entreprise. (À inclure en annexe) 

Même si vous n’êtes pas nombreux et que ces employés n’existent toujours pas, posez ici les bases de votre organisation et du management.

Cela vous permettra également de définir une gestion des compétences prévisionnelles et d’exprimer avec plus de clarté votre plan d’affaires. 

Votre briefing d’entreprise

Dans cette section, je vais vous inviter à réaliser un récapitulatif des informations clés concernant votre entreprise, parmi lesquelles :

• La localisation
• La structure juridique (SARL, SAS…)
• Votre mission (1,2 phrase)
• Un historique bref de l’entreprise qui récapitule les objectifs atteints
• Les éventuels brevets, patente et déclaration de propriété intellectuelle

Étape 5 : Prévisions et plan de financement

En suivant ce guide, nous avons passé les éléments stratégiques clés de votre projet d’entreprise. Maintenant, il va falloir se pencher sur les chiffres.

Vous pouvez vous faire aider d’un professionnel si vous le souhaitez. 

Néanmoins, il restera indispensable de comprendre quels sont les éléments à inclure et à quoi ils servent.

Prévisions de chiffre d’affaires

Simplement, si vous deviez être réaliste et en fonction des ressources engagées, combien pensez-vous pouvoir vendre sur les 5 prochaines années ? 

Il existe différentes méthodes pour réaliser ces prévisions de vente qui seront plus ou moins adaptées en fonction de la nature de votre business.

Vos ressources 

Comme vous pouvez l’imaginer, ces prévisions de chiffre d’affaires sont fondamentales. En effet, elles permettent de prévoir si le niveau d’activité trouve une cohérence avec les dépenses et les investissements engagés.

Les chiffres concernant les potentiels achats de marchandises, dépenses salariales ou en prestataires et toute autre charge d’exploitation et taxes doivent également être indiqués.

Il faut tout prendre en compte et ne rien oublier, car ces éléments vous permettront d’établir vos documents financiers.

Allez, un peu de finance : 

Le compte de résultat (prévisionnel)

Ce document comptable permet de confronter les revenus et les dépenses sur une période (généralement annuelle) afin de déterminer le bénéfice ou la perte dégagée par votre activité. 

Il peut comprendre des ventes qui n’ont toujours pas été encaissées ou des charges que vous n’avez pas encore décaissées.

Le tableau des flux de trésorerie

À ne pas confondre avec le compte de résultat, le tableau des flux de trésorerie ou « cash flow statement » (pour les anglophones) est focalisé sur les mouvements effectifs de trésorerie. 

Si l’on vient à simplifier, le document permet de visualiser si votre entreprise dispose d’un excédent de trésorerie que l’on appelle capacité d’autofinancement ou au contraire d’une trésorerie négative (besoin en financement).

Ce document comptable est une photographie à un instant T des éléments actifs et passifs de votre entreprise. Il permet de mesurer la santé financière de votre entreprise.

Votre stratégie de sortie

Cette dernière section du business plan permet d’indiquer à l’investisseur si vous prévoyez de rester indéfiniment actionnaire de votre société ou si vous prévoyez de revendre vos parts.

Cette section n’est pas indispensable.

Étape 6 : Annexes 

Cette étape finale sera le lieu où vous pourrez inclure tout ce qui est documents, tableaux ou autre information financière ou illustration stratégique qui viennent en support de votre business plan. 

Vous pouvez inclure en annexe de votre business plan :

• Les brevets ou autres justificatifs concernant la structure légale de votre entreprise
• Les éléments graphiques et tableaux
• Packaging, brochure commerciale ou éléments marketing
• CV du management ou de l’équipe
• Une étude de marché
• Une éventuelle autorisation ou permis spécifique à votre activité

À noter que parmi les différentes sections, énoncées ci-dessus, les différentes étapes ne sont pas obligatoires. En fonction de l’objectif de la rédaction de business plan, à vous de juger si vous souhaitez ou non inclure telle ou telle section.

J’espère que ce post vous aura aidé à construire un business plan qui pose les bases d’une aventure entrepreneuriale pérenne et profitable.

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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)

Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.

If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.

Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.

You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.

Let’s get started.

What Do You Need A Business Plan For?

Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.

1. Secure Funds

One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.

For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.

A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.

Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.

2. Monitor Business Growth

A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:

• The business goals
• Methods to achieve the goals
• Time-frame for attaining those goals

A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.

You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.

3. Measure Business Success

A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.

Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.

You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.

4. Document Your Marketing Strategies

You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.

Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.

In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:

• How do you want to reach your target audience?
• How do you plan to retain your customers?
• What is/are your pricing plans?
• What is your budget for marketing?

How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step

1. create your executive summary.

The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.

Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.

A good executive summary should do the following:

• A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
• Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
• Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
• The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
• Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
• Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
• Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
• Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
• Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.

The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.

Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.

View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What sector or industry are you in?
• What are your products and services?
• What is the future of your industry?
• Is your company scaleable?
• Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
• What is the motivation for starting your company?
• What are the next steps?

Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.

The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.

If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.

2. Add Your Company Overview

The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.

Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.

Your company overview should contain the following:

• What products and services you will provide
• Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
• What you need to run your business
• Who your target audience or customers are
• Who will service your customers
• Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
• Information about your company’s founders
• Who the founders are
• Notable achievements of your company so far

When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.

If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.

• Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
• What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
• How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
• Where is the location of your business?
• What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
• How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
• How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?

After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.

The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.

Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”

When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:

• Founding Date
• Major Milestones
• Location(s)
• Flagship Products or Services
• Number of Employees
• Executive Leadership Roles

When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.

Business Objectives

Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.

3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity

The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.

Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.

This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.

Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?

You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.

Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?

Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?

Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.

Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.

Market Analysis

Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.

The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.

A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.

• Market Research

To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.

• Your target market’s needs or pain points
• The existing solutions for their pain points
• Geographic Location
• Demographics

The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.

Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.

You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.

How to Quantify Your Target Market

One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:

• Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
• Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
• Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
• Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.

What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?

Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.

You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:

• Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
• Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
• Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
• Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
• Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
• Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
• Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
• Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.

The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.

Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.

• Is your product or service of superior quality?
• What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
• Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?

Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.

Competitive Analysis

In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.

Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.

Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.

The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.

Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.

When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.

Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.

• What are your successful competitors doing?
• Why is what they are doing working?
• Can your business do it better?
• What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
• What are they not doing well?
• Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
• How good is your competitors’ customer service?
• Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
• What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
• What marketing strategies are they using?
• What kind of press coverage do they get?
• What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?

If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.

If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.

Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.

The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.

Direct vs Indirect Competition

You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.

There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.

If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.

In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.

For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.

There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.

Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.

1. Cost Leadership

A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.

A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.

2. Product Differentiation

Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.

Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.

3. Market Segmentation

As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.

If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.

4. Define Your Business and Management Structure

The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.

Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.

If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.

Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.

The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.

Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.

Management Team

The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.

Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.

A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.

Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.

Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.

If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.

Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team

• Who are the key leaders?
• What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
• Do your key leaders have industry experience?
• What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
• What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
• What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?

Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section

1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team

There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.

Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.

2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles

Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.

While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.

Organizational Chart

Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.

If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.

An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.

You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.

5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering

In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.

Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.

The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.

If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”

Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:

• A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
• The pricing model for your product or service.
• Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
• The ideal customers that want your product or service.
• The benefits of your products and services.
• Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
• Plans for filling the orders you receive
• If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.

What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services

In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.

When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Unique features
• Translating the unique features into benefits
• The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
• Intellectual property rights or any patents

When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
• Time between purchases
• Plans for research and development.

When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:

• The creation of new or existing products and services.
• The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
• Assembling the products
• Maintaining quality control
• Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
• The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.

Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan

1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords

The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.

A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.

2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors

When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.

If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.

For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.

3. Long or Short Products or Services Section

Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?

There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.

If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.

Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.

The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.

If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.

A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.

4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers

Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.

Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.

5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers

The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.

When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.

While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.

Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section

Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.

• Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
• What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
• What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
• Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
• Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
• How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
• What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
• What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
• What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
• Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
• Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
• How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?

You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.

6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan

Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.

The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.

There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.

In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.

Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).

Target Market and Target Audience

Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.

Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.

Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.

Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.

Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.

Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.

Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?

Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market

• What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
• What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
• Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
• How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?

After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.

All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.

Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.

For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].

For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.

“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”

You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.

After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.

Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.

You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.

Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering

Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.

• Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
• Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
• Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.

• Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
• Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
• Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.

After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.

As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.

There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.

Advertising

Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.

Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.

Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.

A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.

Public Relations

A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.

Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,

Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.

Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.

If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.

Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.

When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.

• Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
• What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
• How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?

Social Media

Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.

You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.

Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.

Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.

You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.

Strategic Alliances

If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.

Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.

The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.

Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.

Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan

1. Focus on Your Target Market

Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.

You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.

These questions can help you know your competition.

• What makes your competition successful?
• What are their weaknesses?
• What are customers saying about your competition?

3. Consider Your Brand

Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.

4. Focus on Benefits

The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.

Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.

5. Focus on Differentiation

Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan

• What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
• What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
• What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
• Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
• What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
• Where will you sell your products?

You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.

The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.

7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request

If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’

A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.

Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.

In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.

Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.

If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.

Funding Request: Debt or Equity?

When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.

Case for Equity

If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.

Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.

Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.

Case for Debt

You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.

When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.

Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.

Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.

You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.

Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan

The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.

If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.

You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.

If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .

Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.

8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections

If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.

The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.

If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.

If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.

When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.

Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.

Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.

Use Graphs and Charts

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.

Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.

Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections

Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.

You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.

What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.

A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.

Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.

1. Sales Forecast

Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.

One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.

For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.

Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.

Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.

For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.

2. Personnel Plan

The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.

However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.

The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.

3. Income Statement

The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.

Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.

The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.

• Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
• Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
• Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
• Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
• Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
• Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
• Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.

4. Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.

5. Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.

You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.

6. Exit Strategy

The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.

Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.

Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.

Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection

Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.

You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.

Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.

• What is your sales forecast for the next year?
• When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
• What are the core expenses you need to operate?
• How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
• How will you use the loans or investments?

9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan

Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.

The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.

When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.

Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.

You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.

If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.

A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.

The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.

People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.

Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan

The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:

• Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
• Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
• Additional financial documents or projections
• Articles of incorporation and status
• Backup for market research or competitive analysis
• Bank statements
• Business registries
• Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
• Copies of insurances
• Credit histories (personal or/and business)
• Deeds and permits
• Equipment leases
• Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
• Industry associations and memberships
• Images of product
• Intellectual property
• Key customer contracts
• Legal documents and other contracts
• Letters of reference
• Links to references
• Market research data
• Organizational charts
• Photographs of potential facilities
• Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
• Purchase orders
• Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
• State and federal identification numbers or codes
• Trademarks or patents’ registrations

Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.

Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan

To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.

The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.

Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.

• A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
• A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
• A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.

2. Get Inspiration from People

Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.

To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.

When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.

3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic

Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.

The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.

In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.

The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.

To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.

4. Keep it Simple and Short

When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.

One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.

Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.

You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.

To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.

5. Make an Outline and Follow Through

A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.

For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.

To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.

This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Product or service description
• Target audience
• Market size
• Competition analysis
• Financial projections

Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.

6. Ask a Professional to Proofread

When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.

You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.

In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.

Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.

Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time

1. hubspot's one-page business plan.

The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.

Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:

• Business opportunity
• Company description
• Industry analysis
• Target market
• Implementation timeline
• Marketing plan
• Financial summary
• Funding required

2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template

Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.

The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.

3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.

The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.

There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.

4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute

My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.

The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.

• The Business Profile
• The Vision and the People
• Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
• Organization
• Licenses and Permits
• Business Insurance
• Communication Tools
• Acquisitions
• Location and Leasing
• Accounting and Cash Flow
• Opening and Marketing
• Managing Employees
• Expanding and Handling Problems

There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.

5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.

The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.

There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.

The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.

6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage

The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .

There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.

7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.

There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Service Line
• Marketing and Sales

8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.

There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.

9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template

The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.

There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Products and services
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion / Call to action
• Confidentiality statement

You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)

PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.

10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.

Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.

Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan

A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.

Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.

The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.

Segments of the Business Model Canvas

The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.

• Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
• Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
• The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
• Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
• Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
• Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
• Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
• Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
• Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?

Lean Canvas

The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.

Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:

• Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
• Solution: The solutions to each problem.
• Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
• Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.

Startup Pitch Deck

While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.

Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.

Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.

Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.

Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.

• Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
• Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
• Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
• Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
• Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
• Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
• Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
• Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
• Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
• Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
• Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
• Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.

It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.

Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.

Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan

• Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
• Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
• Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
• Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.

Business Plan FAQ

Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time.  They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.

Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans.  A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.

A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs.  Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.

The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.

A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.

Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.

Exlore Further

• 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
• 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
• 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
• How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

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12 Reasons You Need a Business Plan In the new book "Write Your Own Business Plan," business expert Eric Butow breaks down how a solid business plan can save your startup during those tough early days.

By Dan Bova Sep 19, 2023

Running a business can be unpredictable, which is why having a solid business plan as a foundation is vital to surviving and thriving in the early days of your startup. Eric Butow, CEO of online marketing ROI improvement firm Butow Communications Group, has teamed up with Entrepreneur Media to write the second edition of our best-selling book Write Your Business Plan , providing you with a roadmap for success.

In the following excerpt, Butow explains how a well-thought-out plan can power your startup and help your vision come to life.

Business plans could be considered cheap insurance. Just as many people don't buy fire insurance on their homes and rely on good fortune to protect their investments, many successful business owners do not rely on written business plans but trust their own instincts. However, your business plan is more than insurance. It reflects your ideas, intuitions, instincts, and insights about your business and its future—and provides the cheap insurance of testing them out before you are committed to a course of action. There are so many reasons to create a business plan, and chances are that more than one of the following will apply to your business.

1. A plan helps you set specific objectives for managers.

Good management requires setting specific objectives and then tracking and following up. As your business grows, you want to organize, plan, and communicate your business priorities better to your team and to you. Writing a plan gets everything clear in your head before you talk about it with your team.

2. You can share your strategy, priorities, and plans with your spouse or partner.

People in your personal life intersect with your business life, so shouldn't they know what's supposed to be happening?

Order Write Your Own Business Plan Now and Get 1 Month of Free Access to Business Planning Software Liveplan Premium

• Easy step-by-step business plan generator
• Built-in financial c alculators
• 500+ sample plans and templates

3. Use the plan to explain your displacement.

A short definition of displacement is, "Whatever you do is something else you don't do." Your plan will explain why you're doing what you've decided to do in your business.

4. A plan helps you figure out whether or not to rent or buy new space.

Do your growth prospects and plans justify taking on an increased fixed cost of new space?

5. You can explain your strategy for hiring new people.

How will new people help your business grow and prosper? What exactly are they going to do?

6. A plan helps you decide whether or not to bring on new assets.

How many new assets do you need, and will you buy or lease them? Use your business plan to help decide what's going to happen in the long term and how long important purchases, such as computer equipment, will last in your plan.

7. Share your plan with your team.

Explain the business objectives in your plan with your leadership team, employees, and new hires. What's more, make selected portions of your plan part of your new employee training.

8. Share parts of your plan with new allies to bring them aboard.

Use your plan to set targets for new alliances with complementary businesses and also disclose selected portions of your plan with those businesses as you negotiate an alliance.

9. Use your plan when you deal with professionals.

Share selected parts of your plan with your attorneys and accountants, as well as consultants if necessary.

Write Your Own Business Plan is available now at Entrepreneur Bookstore | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

10. Have all the information in your plan when you're ready to sell.

Sell your business when it's time to put it on the market so you can help buyers understand what you have, what it's worth, and why they want it.

11. A plan helps you set the valuation of the business.

Valuation means how much your business is worth, and it applies to formal transactions related to divorce, inheritance, estate planning, and tax issues. Usually, that takes a business plan as well as a professional with experience. The plan tells the valuation expert what your business is doing, when it's doing (or will do) certain things, why those things are being done, how much that work will cost, and the benefits that work will produce.

12. You can use information in the plan when you need cash.

Seek investment for a business no matter what stage of growth the business finds itself in. Investors need to see a business plan before they decide whether or not to invest. They'll expect the plan to cover all the main points.

To dig deeper, buy Write Your Own Business Plan and get 1 month of free access to business planning software Liveplan Premium.

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids  include  This Day in History , Car and Driver's Trivia Zone ,  Road & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars , The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff , and  Wendell the Werewolf . 

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun  if you want to feel better about yourself.

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Do you REALLY need a business plan?

The top three questions that I get asked most frequently as a professional business plan writer will probably not surprise you:

• What is the purpose of a business plan – why is it really required?
• How is it going to benefit my business if I write a business plan?
• Is a business plan really that important – how can I actually use it?

Keep reading to get my take on what the most essential advantages of preparing a business plan are—and why you may (not) need to prepare one.

The importance, purpose and benefit of a business plan is in that it enables you to validate a business idea, secure funding, set strategic goals – and then take organized action on those goals by making decisions, managing resources, risk and change, while effectively communicating with stakeholders.

Let’s take a closer look at how each of the important business planning benefits can catapult your business forward:

1. Validate Your Business Idea

The process of writing your business plan will force you to ask the difficult questions about the major components of your business, including:

• External: industry, target market of prospective customers, competitive landscape
• Internal: business model, unique selling proposition, operations, marketing, finance

Business planning connects the dots to draw a big picture of the entire business.

And imagine how much time and money you would save if working through a business plan revealed that your business idea is untenable. You would be surprised how often that happens – an idea that once sounded so very promising may easily fall apart after you actually write down all the facts, details and numbers.

While you may be tempted to jump directly into start-up mode, writing a business plan is an essential first step to check the feasibility of a business before investing too much time and money into it. Business plans help to confirm that the idea you are so passionate and convinced about is solid from business point of view.

Take the time to do the necessary research and work through a proper business plan. The more you know, the higher the likelihood that your business will succeed.

2. Set and Track Goals

Successful businesses are dynamic and continuously evolve. And so are good business plans that allow you to:

• Priorities: Regularly set goals, targets (e.g., sales revenues reached), milestones (e.g. number of employees hired), performance indicators and metrics for short, mid and long term
• Accountability: Track your progress toward goals and benchmarks
• Course-correction: make changes to your business as you learn more about your market and what works and what does not
• Mission: Refer to a clear set of values to help steer your business through any times of trouble

Essentially, business plan is a blueprint and an important strategic tool that keeps you focused, motivated and accountable to keep your business on track. When used properly and consulted regularly, it can help you measure and manage what you are working so hard to create – your long-term vision.

As humans, we work better when we have clear goals we can work towards. The everyday business hustle makes it challenging to keep an eye on the strategic priorities. The business planning process serves as a useful reminder.

3. Take Action

A business plan is also a plan of action . At its core, your plan identifies where you are now, where you want your business to go, and how you will get there.

Planning out exactly how you are going to turn your vision into a successful business is perhaps the most important step between an idea and reality. Success comes not only from having a vision but working towards that vision in a systematic and organized way.

A good business plan clearly outlines specific steps necessary to turn the business objectives into reality. Think of it as a roadmap to success. The strategy and tactics need to be in alignment to make sure that your day-to-day activities lead to the achievement of your business goals.

4. Manage Resources

A business plan also provides insight on how resources required for achieving your business goals will be structured and allocated according to their strategic priority. For example:

Large Spending Decisions

• Assets: When and in what amount will the business commit resources to buy/lease new assets, such as computers or vehicles.
• Human Resources: Objectives for hiring new employees, including not only their pay but how they will help the business grow and flourish.
• Business Space: Information on costs of renting/buying space for offices, retail, manufacturing or other operations, for example when expanding to a new location.

Cash Flow It is essential that a business carefully plans and manages cash flows to ensure that there are optimal levels of cash in the bank at all times and avoid situations where the business could run out of cash and could not afford to pay its bills.

Revenues v. Expenses In addition, your business plan will compare your revenue forecasts to the budgeted costs to make sure that your financials are healthy and the business is set up for success.

5. Make Decisions

Whether you are starting a small business or expanding an existing one, a business plan is an important tool to help guide your decisions:

Sound decisions Gathering information for the business plan boosts your knowledge across many important areas of the business:

• Industry, market, customers and competitors
• Financial projections (e.g., revenue, expenses, assets, cash flow)
• Operations, technology and logistics
• Human resources (management and staff)
• Creating value for your customer through products and services

Decision-making skills The business planning process involves thorough research and critical thinking about many intertwined and complex business issues. As a result, it solidifies the decision-making skills of the business owner and builds a solid foundation for strategic planning , prioritization and sound decision making in your business. The more you understand, the better your decisions will be.

Planning Thorough planning allows you to determine the answer to some of the most critical business decisions ahead of time , prepare for anticipate problems before they arise, and ensure that any tactical solutions are in line with the overall strategy and goals.

If you do not take time to plan, you risk becoming overwhelmed by countless options and conflicting directions because you are not unclear about the mission , vision and strategy for your business.

6. Manage Risk

Some level of uncertainty is inherent in every business, but there is a lot you can do to reduce and manage the risk, starting with a business plan to uncover your weak spots.

You will need to take a realistic and pragmatic look at the hard facts and identify:

• Major risks , challenges and obstacles that you can expect on the way – so you can prepare to deal with them.
• Weaknesses in your business idea, business model and strategy – so you can fix them.
• Critical mistakes before they arise – so you can avoid them.

Essentially, the business plan is your safety net . Naturally, business plan cannot entirely eliminate risk, but it can significantly reduce it and prepare you for any challenges you may encounter.

7. Communicate Internally

Attract talent For a business to succeed, attracting talented workers and partners is of vital importance.

A business plan can be used as a communication tool to attract the right talent at all levels, from skilled staff to executive management, to work for your business by explaining the direction and growth potential of the business in a presentable format.

Align performance Sharing your business plan with all team members helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the long-term vision and strategy.

You need their buy-in from the beginning, because aligning your team with your priorities will increase the efficiency of your business as everyone is working towards a common goal .

If everyone on your team understands that their piece of work matters and how it fits into the big picture, they are more invested in achieving the objectives of the business.

It also makes it easier to track and communicate on your progress.

Share and explain business objectives with your management team, employees and new hires. Make selected portions of your business plan part of your new employee training.

8. Communicate Externally

Alliances If you are interested in partnerships or joint ventures, you may share selected sections of your plan with the potential business partners in order to develop new alliances.

Suppliers A business plan can play a part in attracting reliable suppliers and getting approved for business credit from suppliers. Suppliers who feel confident that your business will succeed (e.g., sales projections) will be much more likely to extend credit.

In addition, suppliers may want to ensure their products are being represented in the right way .

Professional Services Having a business plan in place allows you to easily share relevant sections with those you rely on to support the organization, including attorneys, accountants, and other professional consultants as needed, to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Advisors Share the plan with experts and professionals who are in a position to give you valuable advice.

Landlord Some landlords and property managers require businesses to submit a business plan to be considered for a lease to prove that your business will have sufficient cash flows to pay the rent.

Customers The business plan may also function as a prospectus for potential customers, especially when it comes to large corporate accounts and exclusive customer relationships.

9. Secure Funding

If you intend to seek outside financing for your business, you are likely going to need a business plan.

Whether you are seeking debt financing (e.g. loan or credit line) from a lender (e.g., bank or financial institution) or equity capital financing from investors (e.g., venture or angel capital), a business plan can make the difference between whether or not – and how much – someone decides to invest.

Investors and financiers are always looking at the risk of default and the earning potential based on facts and figures. Understandably, anyone who is interested in supporting your business will want to check that you know what you are doing, that their money is in good hands, and that the venture is viable in the long run.

Business plans tend to be the most effective ways of proving that. A presentation may pique their interest , but they will most probably request a well-written document they can study in detail before they will be prepared to make any financial commitment.

That is why a business plan can often be the single most important document you can present to potential investors/financiers that will provide the structure and confidence that they need to make decisions about funding and supporting your company.

Be prepared to have your business plan scrutinized . Investors and financiers will conduct extensive checks and analyses to be certain that what is written in your business plan faithful representation of the truth.

10. Grow and Change

It is a very common misconception that a business plan is a static document that a new business prepares once in the start-up phase and then happily forgets about.

But businesses are not static. And neither are business plans. The business plan for any business will change over time as the company evolves and expands .

In the growth phase, an updated business plan is particularly useful for:

Raising additional capital for expansion

• Seeking financing for new assets , such as equipment or property
• Securing financing to support steady cash flows (e.g., seasonality, market downturns, timing of sale/purchase invoices)
• Forecasting to allocate resources according to strategic priority and operational needs
• Valuation (e.g., mergers & acquisitions, tax issues, transactions related to divorce, inheritance, estate planning)

Keeping the business plan updated gives established businesses better chance of getting the money they need to grow or even keep operating.

Business plan is also an excellent tool for planning an exit as it would include the strategy and timelines for a transfer to new ownership or dissolution of the company.

Also, if you ever make the decision to sell your business or position yourself for a merger or an acquisition , a strong business plan in hand is going to help you to maximize the business valuation.

Valuation is the process of establishing the worth of a business by a valuation expert who will draw on professional experience as well as a business plan that will outline what you have, what it’s worth now and how much will it likely produce in the future.

Your business is likely to be worth more to a buyer if they clearly understand your business model, your market, your assets and your overall potential to grow and scale .

Related Questions

Business plan purpose: what is the purpose of a business plan.

The purpose of a business plan is to articulate a strategy for starting a new business or growing an existing one by identifying where the business is going and how it will get there to test the viability of a business idea and maximize the chances of securing funding and achieving business goals and success.

Business Plan Benefits: What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan benefits businesses by serving as a strategic tool outlining the steps and resources required to achieve goals and make business ideas succeed, as well as a communication tool allowing businesses to articulate their strategy to stakeholders that support the business.

Business Plan Importance: Why is business plan important?

The importance of a business plan lies in it being a roadmap that guides the decisions of a business on the road to success, providing clarity on all aspects of its operations. This blueprint outlines the goals of the business and what exactly is needed to achieve them through effective management.

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Accueil • Blog • Entrepreneuriat • Modèle de Business Plan : exemple de structure en 7 parties

Modèle de Business Plan : exemple de structure en 7 parties

• Quelles sont les 5 fonctions du Business Plan ?
• Connaître les 4 étapes de réalisation de votre étude de marché ?
• Pourquoi faut-il 7 parties pour structurer un bon Business Plan ?

Vous avez une idée de création d’entreprise ? Votre aventure entrepreneuriale est sur le point de débuter et c’est particulièrement grisant … Il y a plusieurs étapes à respecter pour passer de l’idée de base au lancement final de votre entreprise : la première est la réalisation de votre Business Plan ou Plan d’affaires. Après vous avoir donné la définition et l’intérêt du business plan, retrouvez nos modèles gratuits de business plan. Il est vrai qu’il s’agit d’un travail long et fastidieux, ce qui peut tenter certains à esquiver cette étape pourtant cruciale. Laissez-vous guider pour cette étape clé de la création d’entreprise !

Qu’est-ce qu’un Business Plan ?

La fonction principale du Business Plan ou Plan d’Affaires est de centraliser dans un document écrit toutes les informations qui vous aident à structurer votre projet en répondant à plusieurs questions essentielles . Créer un business permet de rassembler vos idées et de les ordonner afin d’étudier la faisabilité de votre projet de création d’entreprise … C’est donc un élément indispensable dans votre parcours d’entrepreneur . CréActifs propose même de vous accompagner dans le cadre d’une formation dédiée pour apprendre à faire son Business Plan .

Vous vous demandez certainement quel plan adopter ? Bénéficiez de notre outil d’aide à la création d’un Business Plan pour créer par exemple votre Business plan pour une offre de Gîte ou Chambre d’Hôtes ou de Bar et Restaurant , mais aussi pour devenir Consultant indépendant ou formateur .

Pourquoi réaliser un Business Plan ?

Ne pas faire de Business Plan lorsque l’on souhaite créer une entreprise, c’est comme construire une maison sans en avoir réalisé les plans avant ! Si vous avez besoin d’être accompagné dans cette étape, les formateurs CréActifs sont là pour vous aider.

• Le Business Plan (BP) est votre meilleur allié ! Il vous : – donnera une vision globale de votre activité , – permettra de prendre les décisions stratégiques les plus adaptées, – donnera la possibilité d’appréhender plus facilement les besoins et ressources nécessaires à l’activité.
• Votre Business Plan vous permettra d’ établir le modèle économique de votre activité , en trouvant le moyen d’autofinancer l’entreprise et de dégager de la rentabilité.   
• Ce document est un argument de poids auprès des banques  ! Si vous souhaitez réaliser un emprunt pour votre projet , celui-ci peut apporter de la crédibilité et prouver la solvabilité et la faisabilité du projet !
• Il représente un tremplin pour attirer les différents investisseurs . Si vous souhaitez lever des fonds , il est impératif de faire un business plan.
• Votre BP vous évitera de courir dans tous les sens et de vous perdre dans votre création .

Comment faire un Business Plan ? Les étapes

Bien qu’il existe autant de Business Plan qu’il existe d’entrepreneurs, le sommaire du Business plan se compose toujours des parties suivantes :

• La synthèse : executive summary
• Le(s) porteur(s) de projet, leurs diplômes, compétences et expériences
• Le marché couvert (local, spécialisé, national, international, etc.)
• La stratégie commerciale que vous allez mettre en oeuvre
• Aspects juridiques (choix du statut juridique)
• Prévisionnel Financier
• Rétroplanning (listez les étapes à suivre pour aboutir au résultat et fixez-vous des délais).

Il est important de hiérarchiser les informations afin d’avoir une structure solide . Aussi, pensez à mettre en avant les passages déterminants pour faciliter la lecture. N’hésitez pas à agrémenter votre business plan avec des graphiques, tableaux et image en rapport avec votre projet.

1. Executive summary (1 à 2 pages)

Cette première partie est essentielle à votre business plan. Aussi, c’est la dernière étape à rédiger car elle résume l’ensemble de votre Business Plan . L’executive summary de votre business plan doit comporter :

• La problématique à laquelle vous répondez,
• Votre solution,
• Votre positionnement face à la concurrence,
• Le modèle économique de votre entreprise,
• Votre équipe et la pertinence de chaque membre,
• Les résultats à trois ans,
• Votre besoin en financement.

L’executive summary est l’une des parties les plus importantes car c’est celle que tout le monde lira. Elle doit pouvoir convaincre en moins 3 minutes  !

2. Equipe et acteurs du projet (1 à 3 pages)

Cette partie comprend la présentation du dirigeant, des associés, les partenaires et fournisseurs du projet. Tout d’abord, posez-vous les questions suivantes : Qui êtes-vous ? Quelles sont vos motivations, vos expériences et vos compétences  ? Quelle est votre formation ?

Vous devez montrer que vous avez la légitimité pour créer et devenir chef d’entreprise . Elle ne doit pas dépasser plus de 3 pages. C’est un CV détaillé de vous qui permet de comprendre votre rôle dans l’entreprise. Il faudra aussi présenter vos associés, partenaires et fournisseurs et expliquer les raisons qui vous poussent à créer ensemble.

3. Présentation du projet (2 à 5 pages)

Cette partie est basée sur l’ensemble des éléments proposés aux prospects et aux clients . Il s’agit donc de définir :

• Ce que vous proposez au client,
• Les caractéristiques de vos biens ou services,
• Les performances attendues ou déjà enregistrées,
• Son utilité / A quels besoins répondez-vous ?
• Ses points forts et faibles,
• La technologie utilisée / Comment fabriquez-vous votre produit ?
• Les prix que vous allez pratiquer,
• A quelle cible voulez-vous vendre ?
• Contraintes techniques, juridiques, financières, ressources humaines (team) …
• La zone géographique couverte,
• L’avantage concurrentiel (connaître ses concurrents est indispensable pour la réussite de son projet).

Votre offre devra tout d’abord répondre aux besoins que vous déterminerez dans l’étude de marché, puis être en accord avec les tendances actuelles et futures . Il faudra aussi penser à présenter tous les besoins matériels et humains.

4. Etude de marché (10  pages)

Cette partie a pour objectif de déterminer les opportunités et menaces de votre secteur d’activité . De toute évidence, il faut avoir des données chiffrées sur votre marché pour identifier les caractéristiques de votre future entreprise et définir une stratégie. Cette étude de marché se compose d’une dizaine de page.

L’étude de marché est une étape indispensable dans la création d’entreprise car elle permet de mieux comprendre ses clients pour créer une offre réellement pertinente pour eux .

Grâce à votre étude de marché, vous pourrez dresser le portrait de votre client. Autrement dit, vous pourrez répondre aux questions suivantes : quelles sont ses habitudes d’achat ? pourquoi achète-il ?

5. Stratégie commerciale (2 à 6 pages)

Votre étude de marché réalisée et les opportunités et menaces déterminées, il vous sera ensuite possible d’établir votre stratégie commerciale . Il faut que celle-ci soit adaptée en fonction des forces et faiblesses de votre projet afin de prendre les bonnes décisions. La stratégie commerciale comprend notamment le « Mix Marketing » :

L’ image de marque est capitale pour une entreprise . Ainsi, vous devez l’expliquer afin que le client imagine votre produit aujourd’hui et dans quelques années. Il est aussi important d’expliquer l’évolution de votre produit et service pour les prochaines années.

Il faut déterminer le budget des actions marketing à mettre en place ainsi qu’un planning pour chaque opération . En effet, se donner des objectifs chiffrés est primordial afin d’analyser l’efficacité des différents modes de communication et le taux de transformation client.

6. Statut juridique (1 à 2 pages)

Après avoir déterminé votre prévisionnel financier, il faudra choisir votre statut juridique . Par exemple, pour une entreprise de type Restaurant et Bar, privilégiez les formes EURL ou SARL. S’il s’agit d’un Gîte et chambre d’hôtes, la Micro-entreprise, EURL, ou la SARL si vous vous lancez en famille, seront intéressants.

Le statut juridique est la partie la plus compliquée à la création car il faut trouver le statut le plus avantageux à la création . Il faudra aussi faire attention aux différentes législations qui peuvent bloquer votre activité.

Pratique : Vous hésitez encore entre l’Entreprise individuelle (EI), l’entreprise individuelle à responsabilité limitée (EIRL) ou bien la SARL ? Utilisez gratuitement notre outil interactif d’aide au choix d’un statut juridique pour votre nouvelle activité professionnelle.

7. Prévisionnel financier (5 à 10 pages)

Le prévisionnel financier est la partie chiffrée de votre business plan. Il doit permettre de vérifier la viabilité de votre projet et ainsi prouver aux banquiers et/ou investisseurs que vous générez du chiffre d’affaires. En général, les prévisions sont basées sur les trois premières années.

Le prévisionnel financier doit notamment comporter :

• L’hypothèse de chiffre d’affaires et les justifications
• Le compte de résultat et le bilan prévisionnel
• Le tableau de trésorerie
• Le Plan de financement

Le prévisionnel est une étape essentielle lors de la rédaction de votre Business Plan. Pour gagner en efficacité, il peut être intéressant de s’appuyer sur un logiciel de gestion. Ce type d’outil vous permet de comparer chaque chiffre réel avec ceux estimés, de piloter et analyser l’évolution de votre activité.

Cette partie permet de chiffrer votre projet et déterminer la viabilité et le potentiel de votre idée. Elle permet également de fixer des objectifs à remplir en termes de chiffre d’affaires et de rendre concret le développement de votre entreprise. Le banquier et les futurs investisseurs regarderont cette partie avec attention car elle est déterminante pour vous obtenir leur confiance et prouver votre sérieux.

Si vous avez déjà trouvé votre comptable indiquez ses coordonnées. Si vous choisissez de tenir vous même votre comptabilité, justifiez de vos compétences ou au besoin, indiquez que vous suivez une formation en comptabilité , comme celle proposée par CréActifs en seulement 5 jours (des financements existent, renseignez-vous !).

Exemple de modèle de business plan

En conclusion, le business plan structure votre idée. Il vous guide sur la route de l’entrepreneuriat et vous permet d’éviter les pièges et de limiter les surprises. Aussi, il est nécessaire pour tout emprunt et pour ouvrir un compte entreprise. En clair, suivez notre exemple de business plan car cela participera à la réussite de votre entreprise et vous changera sûrement la vie !

Vous pouvez télécharger un modèle gratuit de Business plan , puis compléter et affiner son contenu en suivant notre formation dédiée aux créateurs d’entreprises. Mettez toutes les chances de réussite votre côté !

FORMATION : CRÉER SON ENTREPRISE DE A À Z

L’un des nombreux objectifs de cette formation est de vous permettre de rédiger un Business Plan réaliste et convaincant pour démontrer la faisabilité, la stratégie, la cohérence ainsi que la rentabilité de votre projet.

Pour en savoir plus, découvrez notre offre de formations à la création d’entreprise !

2 Commentaire(s)

Je dois mettre en place un business plan pour réaliser un projet qui me tient à cœur. Pour cela, je vais suivre les conseils qui sont données dans cet article. Des astuces qui sont liées aux étapes pouvant m’aider à réussir le plan en question. C’est un article qui peut me permettre de briller !

Bonjour Mélissa, nous vous conseillons de participer à la formation "Réaliser son Business Plan" pour atteindre vos objectifs. Elle est éligible au CPF, profitez-en ! Je vous invite à contacter nos Conseillers en Entrepreneuriat au 01 48 74 63 90.

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Table of Contents

How to make a business plan

How to make a good business plan: step-by-step guide.

A business plan is a strategic roadmap used to navigate the challenging journey of entrepreneurship. It's the foundation upon which you build a successful business.

A well-crafted business plan can help you define your vision, clarify your goals, and identify potential problems before they arise.

But where do you start? How do you create a business plan that sets you up for success?

This article will explore the step-by-step process of creating a comprehensive business plan.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a formal document that outlines a business's objectives, strategies, and operational procedures. It typically includes the following information about a company:

Products or services

Target market

Competitors

Marketing and sales strategies

Financial plan

Management team

A business plan serves as a roadmap for a company's success and provides a blueprint for its growth and development. It helps entrepreneurs and business owners organize their ideas, evaluate the feasibility, and identify potential challenges and opportunities.

As well as serving as a guide for business owners, a business plan can attract investors and secure funding. It demonstrates the company's understanding of the market, its ability to generate revenue and profits, and its strategy for managing risks and achieving success.

Business plan vs. business model canvas

A business plan may seem similar to a business model canvas, but each document serves a different purpose.

A business model canvas is a high-level overview that helps entrepreneurs and business owners quickly test and iterate their ideas. It is often a one-page document that briefly outlines the following:

Key partnerships

Key activities

Key propositions

Customer relationships

Customer segments

Key resources

Cost structure

Revenue streams

On the other hand, a Business Plan Template provides a more in-depth analysis of a company's strategy and operations. It is typically a lengthy document and requires significant time and effort to develop.

A business model shouldn’t replace a business plan, and vice versa. Business owners should lay the foundations and visually capture the most important information with a Business Model Canvas Template . Because this is a fast and efficient way to communicate a business idea, a business model canvas is a good starting point before developing a more comprehensive business plan.

A business plan can aim to secure funding from investors or lenders, while a business model canvas communicates a business idea to potential customers or partners.

Why is a business plan important?

A business plan is crucial for any entrepreneur or business owner wanting to increase their chances of success.

Here are some of the many benefits of having a thorough business plan.

Helps to define the business goals and objectives

A business plan encourages you to think critically about your goals and objectives. Doing so lets you clearly understand what you want to achieve and how you plan to get there.

A well-defined set of goals, objectives, and key results also provides a sense of direction and purpose, which helps keep business owners focused and motivated.

Guides decision-making

A business plan requires you to consider different scenarios and potential problems that may arise in your business. This awareness allows you to devise strategies to deal with these issues and avoid pitfalls.

With a clear plan, entrepreneurs can make informed decisions aligning with their overall business goals and objectives. This helps reduce the risk of making costly mistakes and ensures they make decisions with long-term success in mind.

Attracts investors and secures funding

Investors and lenders often require a business plan before considering investing in your business. A document that outlines the company's goals, objectives, and financial forecasts can help instill confidence in potential investors and lenders.

A well-written business plan demonstrates that you have thoroughly thought through your business idea and have a solid plan for success.

Identifies potential challenges and risks

A business plan requires entrepreneurs to consider potential challenges and risks that could impact their business. For example:

Is there enough demand for my product or service?

Will I have enough capital to start my business?

Is the market oversaturated with too many competitors?

What will happen if my marketing strategy is ineffective?

By identifying these potential challenges, entrepreneurs can develop strategies to mitigate risks and overcome challenges. This can reduce the likelihood of costly mistakes and ensure the business is well-positioned to take on any challenges.

Provides a basis for measuring success

A business plan serves as a framework for measuring success by providing clear goals and financial projections . Entrepreneurs can regularly refer to the original business plan as a benchmark to measure progress. By comparing the current business position to initial forecasts, business owners can answer questions such as:

Are we where we want to be at this point?

Did we achieve our goals?

If not, why not, and what do we need to do?

After assessing whether the business is meeting its objectives or falling short, business owners can adjust their strategies as needed.

How to make a business plan step by step

The steps below will guide you through the process of creating a business plan and what key components you need to include.

1. Create an executive summary

Start with a brief overview of your entire plan. The executive summary should cover your business plan's main points and key takeaways.

Keep your executive summary concise and clear with the Executive Summary Template . The simple design helps readers understand the crux of your business plan without reading the entire document.

2. Write your company description

Provide a detailed explanation of your company. Include information on what your company does, the mission statement, and your vision for the future.

Provide additional background information on the history of your company, the founders, and any notable achievements or milestones.

3. Conduct a market analysis

Conduct an in-depth analysis of your industry, competitors, and target market. This is best done with a SWOT analysis to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Next, identify your target market's needs, demographics, and behaviors.

Use the Competitive Analysis Template to brainstorm answers to simple questions like:

What does the current market look like?

Who are your competitors?

What are they offering?

What will give you a competitive advantage?

Who is your target market?

What are they looking for and why?

How will your product or service satisfy a need?

These questions should give you valuable insights into the current market and where your business stands.

4. Describe your products and services

Provide detailed information about your products and services. This includes pricing information, product features, and any unique selling points.

Use the Product/Market Fit Template to explain how your products meet the needs of your target market. Describe what sets them apart from the competition.

5. Design a marketing and sales strategy

Outline how you plan to promote and sell your products. Your marketing strategy and sales strategy should include information about your:

Pricing strategy

Advertising and promotional tactics

Sales channels

The Go to Market Strategy Template is a great way to visually map how you plan to launch your product or service in a new or existing market.

6. Determine budget and financial projections

Document detailed information on your business’ finances. Describe the current financial position of the company and how you expect the finances to play out.

Some details to include in this section are:

Startup costs

Revenue projections

Profit and loss statement

Funding you have received or plan to receive

Strategy for raising funds

7. Set the organization and management structure

Define how your company is structured and who will be responsible for each aspect of the business. Use the Business Organizational Chart Template to visually map the company’s teams, roles, and hierarchy.

As well as the organization and management structure, discuss the legal structure of your business. Clarify whether your business is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC.

8. Make an action plan

At this point in your business plan, you’ve described what you’re aiming for. But how are you going to get there? The Action Plan Template describes the following steps to move your business plan forward. Outline the next steps you plan to take to bring your business plan to fruition.

Types of business plans

Several types of business plans cater to different purposes and stages of a company's lifecycle. Here are some of the most common types of business plans.

Startup business plan

A startup business plan is typically an entrepreneur's first business plan. This document helps entrepreneurs articulate their business idea when starting a new business.

Not sure how to make a business plan for a startup? It’s pretty similar to a regular business plan, except the primary purpose of a startup business plan is to convince investors to provide funding for the business. A startup business plan also outlines the potential target market, product/service offering, marketing plan, and financial projections.

Strategic business plan

A strategic business plan is a long-term plan that outlines a company's overall strategy, objectives, and tactics. This type of strategic plan focuses on the big picture and helps business owners set goals and priorities and measure progress.

The primary purpose of a strategic business plan is to provide direction and guidance to the company's management team and stakeholders. The plan typically covers a period of three to five years.

Operational business plan

An operational business plan is a detailed document that outlines the day-to-day operations of a business. It focuses on the specific activities and processes required to run the business, such as:

Organizational structure

Staffing plan

Production plan

Quality control

Inventory management

Supply chain

The primary purpose of an operational business plan is to ensure that the business runs efficiently and effectively. It helps business owners manage their resources, track their performance, and identify areas for improvement.

Growth-business plan

A growth-business plan is a strategic plan that outlines how a company plans to expand its business. It helps business owners identify new market opportunities and increase revenue and profitability. The primary purpose of a growth-business plan is to provide a roadmap for the company's expansion and growth.

The 3 Horizons of Growth Template is a great tool to identify new areas of growth. This framework categorizes growth opportunities into three categories: Horizon 1 (core business), Horizon 2 (emerging business), and Horizon 3 (potential business).

One-page business plan

A one-page business plan is a condensed version of a full business plan that focuses on the most critical aspects of a business. It’s a great tool for entrepreneurs who want to quickly communicate their business idea to potential investors, partners, or employees.

A one-page business plan typically includes sections such as business concept, value proposition, revenue streams, and cost structure.

Best practices for how to make a good business plan

Here are some additional tips for creating a business plan:

Use a template

A template can help you organize your thoughts and effectively communicate your business ideas and strategies. Starting with a template can also save you time and effort when formatting your plan.

Miro’s extensive library of customizable templates includes all the necessary sections for a comprehensive business plan. With our templates, you can confidently present your business plans to stakeholders and investors.

Be practical

Avoid overestimating revenue projections or underestimating expenses. Your business plan should be grounded in practical realities like your budget, resources, and capabilities.

Be specific

Provide as much detail as possible in your business plan. A specific plan is easier to execute because it provides clear guidance on what needs to be done and how. Without specific details, your plan may be too broad or vague, making it difficult to know where to start or how to measure success.

Be thorough with your research

Conduct thorough research to fully understand the market, your competitors, and your target audience . By conducting thorough research, you can identify potential risks and challenges your business may face and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Get input from others

It can be easy to become overly focused on your vision and ideas, leading to tunnel vision and a lack of objectivity. By seeking input from others, you can identify potential opportunities you may have overlooked.

Review and revise regularly

A business plan is a living document. You should update it regularly to reflect market, industry, and business changes. Set aside time for regular reviews and revisions to ensure your plan remains relevant and effective.

Create a winning business plan to chart your path to success

Starting or growing a business can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, a well-written business plan can make or break your business’ success.

The purpose of a business plan is more than just to secure funding and attract investors. It also serves as a roadmap for achieving your business goals and realizing your vision. With the right mindset, tools, and strategies, you can develop a visually appealing, persuasive business plan.

Ready to make an effective business plan that works for you? Check out our library of ready-made strategy and planning templates and chart your path to success.

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What Is a Business Plan?

Understanding business plans, how to write a business plan, common elements of a business plan, the bottom line, business plan: what it is, what's included, and how to write one.

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

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A business plan is a document that outlines a company's goals and the strategies to achieve them. It's valuable for both startups and established companies. For startups, a well-crafted business plan is crucial for attracting potential lenders and investors. Established businesses use business plans to stay on track and aligned with their growth objectives. This article will explain the key components of an effective business plan and guidance on how to write one.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan is a document detailing a company's business activities and strategies for achieving its goals.
• Startup companies use business plans to launch their venture and to attract outside investors.
• For established companies, a business plan helps keep the executive team focused on short- and long-term objectives.
• There's no single required format for a business plan, but certain key elements are essential for most companies.

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

Any new business should have a business plan in place before beginning operations. Banks and venture capital firms often want to see a business plan before considering making a loan or providing capital to new businesses.

Even if a company doesn't need additional funding, having a business plan helps it stay focused on its goals. Research from the University of Oregon shows that businesses with a plan are significantly more likely to secure funding than those without one. Moreover, companies with a business plan grow 30% faster than those that don't plan. According to a Harvard Business Review article, entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than those who don't.

A business plan should ideally be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect achieved goals or changes in direction. An established business moving in a new direction might even create an entirely new plan.

There are numerous benefits to creating (and sticking to) a well-conceived business plan. It allows for careful consideration of ideas before significant investment, highlights potential obstacles to success, and provides a tool for seeking objective feedback from trusted outsiders. A business plan may also help ensure that a company’s executive team remains aligned on strategic action items and priorities.

While business plans vary widely, even among competitors in the same industry, they often share basic elements detailed below.

A well-crafted business plan is essential for attracting investors and guiding a company's strategic growth. It should address market needs and investor requirements and provide clear financial projections.

While there are any number of templates that you can use to write a business plan, it's best to try to avoid producing a generic-looking one. Let your plan reflect the unique personality of your business.

Many business plans use some combination of the sections below, with varying levels of detail, depending on the company.

The length of a business plan can vary greatly from business to business. Regardless, gathering the basic information into a 15- to 25-page document is best. Any additional crucial elements, such as patent applications, can be referenced in the main document and included as appendices.

Common elements in many business plans include:

• Executive summary : This section introduces the company and includes its mission statement along with relevant information about the company's leadership, employees, operations, and locations.
• Products and services : Describe the products and services the company offers or plans to introduce. Include details on pricing, product lifespan, and unique consumer benefits. Mention production and manufacturing processes, relevant patents , proprietary technology , and research and development (R&D) information.
• Market analysis : Explain the current state of the industry and the competition. Detail where the company fits in, the types of customers it plans to target, and how it plans to capture market share from competitors.
• Marketing strategy : Outline the company's plans to attract and retain customers, including anticipated advertising and marketing campaigns. Describe the distribution channels that will be used to deliver products or services to consumers.
• Financial plans and projections : Established businesses should include financial statements, balance sheets, and other relevant financial information. New businesses should provide financial targets and estimates for the first few years. This section may also include any funding requests.

Investors want to see a clear exit strategy, expected returns, and a timeline for cashing out. It's likely a good idea to provide five-year profitability forecasts and realistic financial estimates.

2 Types of Business Plans

Business plans can vary in format, often categorized into traditional and lean startup plans. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , the traditional business plan is the more common of the two.

• Traditional business plans : These are detailed and lengthy, requiring more effort to create but offering comprehensive information that can be persuasive to potential investors.
• Lean startup business plans : These are concise, sometimes just one page, and focus on key elements. While they save time, companies should be ready to provide additional details if requested by investors or lenders.

Why Do Business Plans Fail?

A business plan isn't a surefire recipe for success. The plan may have been unrealistic in its assumptions and projections. Markets and the economy might change in ways that couldn't have been foreseen. A competitor might introduce a revolutionary new product or service. All this calls for building flexibility into your plan, so you can pivot to a new course if needed.

How Often Should a Business Plan Be Updated?

How frequently a business plan needs to be revised will depend on its nature. Updating your business plan is crucial due to changes in external factors (market trends, competition, and regulations) and internal developments (like employee growth and new products). While a well-established business might want to review its plan once a year and make changes if necessary, a new or fast-growing business in a fiercely competitive market might want to revise it more often, such as quarterly.

What Does a Lean Startup Business Plan Include?

The lean startup business plan is ideal for quickly explaining a business, especially for new companies that don't have much information yet. Key sections may include a value proposition , major activities and advantages, resources (staff, intellectual property, and capital), partnerships, customer segments, and revenue sources.

A well-crafted business plan is crucial for any company, whether it's a startup looking for investment or an established business wanting to stay on course. It outlines goals and strategies, boosting a company's chances of securing funding and achieving growth.

As your business and the market change, update your business plan regularly. This keeps it relevant and aligned with your current goals and conditions. Think of your business plan as a living document that evolves with your company, not something carved in stone.

University of Oregon Department of Economics. " Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Business Planning Using Palo Alto's Business Plan Pro ." Eason Ding & Tim Hursey.

Bplans. " Do You Need a Business Plan? Scientific Research Says Yes ."

Harvard Business Review. " Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed ."

Harvard Business Review. " How to Write a Winning Business Plan ."

U.S. Small Business Administration. " Write Your Business Plan ."

SCORE. " When and Why Should You Review Your Business Plan? "

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• Qu'est-ce que la planification stratégi ...

Qu'est-ce que la planification stratégique ? Etapes et méthodes

La planification stratégique fait référence au processus employé par les dirigeants pour définir leur vision quant au développement de leur entreprise, ainsi qu’à leur stratégie pour la concrétiser. Dans cet article, nous vous présentons le processus de planification stratégique, son importance, ses avantages, les bonnes pratiques à respecter ainsi que les cinq étapes à suivre pour créer un plan stratégique de A à Z.

Si vous travaillez pour une start-up ou une petite entreprise, vous gagneriez sûrement à créer un plan stratégique. En ayant une idée précise des objectifs de votre organisation, vous pourrez veiller à ce que vos équipes travaillent sur les projets à plus forte valeur ajoutée. 

Le processus de planification stratégique n’a pas pour seul but de vous aider à identifier vos objectifs : pendant ce processus, vous créerez un document que vous pourrez partager avec vos employés et parties prenantes pour les tenir informés de votre progression. Dans cet article, nous allons vous expliquer comment vous lancer dans la création d’un plan stratégique et élaborer celui-ci.

Qu'est-ce qu'un plan stratégique ?

Un plan stratégique sert à définir les objectifs de votre organisation et les actions à accomplir pour les atteindre. En général, le plan stratégique inclut l’énoncé de mission et l’énoncé de vision de l’entreprise, les objectifs à long terme (et les objectifs annuels), ainsi que le plan d’action des initiatives à entreprendre pour avancer dans la bonne direction. 

Ai-je besoin d’un plan stratégique ?

Le plan stratégique fait partie des nombreux outils que vous pouvez utiliser pour vous fixer des objectifs et les atteindre. Voici les différences entre un plan stratégique et d’autres outils de gestion du travail et de projet :

Plan stratégique ou business plan ?

Nous vous conseillons d’établir un business plan quand vous créez une entreprise ou que vous changez radicalement votre stratégie commerciale. Dès le départ, couchez-y sur papier votre stratégie pour que chaque membre de votre équipe soit sur la même longueur d’onde concernant les priorités commerciales et objectifs clés de l’entreprise. Par ailleurs, votre business plan vous permettra de décrire et de partager votre stratégie avec les principaux investisseurs pendant les débuts de votre activité.

Si votre entreprise est déjà bien établie, pourquoi ne pas créer un plan stratégique plutôt qu’un business plan ? Même si votre entreprise est relativement jeune, votre plan stratégique peut s’ajouter à votre business plan et vous aider à garder le cap. Pendant le processus de planification stratégique, inspirez-vous des éléments commerciaux fondamentaux sur lesquels votre entreprise est déjà basée afin d’établir votre stratégie pour les trois à cinq années à venir.

Plan stratégique ou énoncés de vision et de mission ?

Votre plan stratégique, votre énoncé de mission et votre énoncé de vision sont étroitement liés. D’ailleurs, pour mettre au point votre plan stratégique, vous vous inspirerez de vos énoncés de vision et de mission.

Avant d’établir votre plan stratégique, vous devez avoir rédigé des énoncés de mission et de vision. Idéalement, ces derniers doivent dater de la phase de planification des activités de votre entreprise ou de peu après la création de celle-ci. Si vous n’avez pas d’énoncé de mission ni d’énoncé de vision, prenez dès maintenant le temps d’en créer. L’énoncé de mission expose la raison d’être de votre entreprise ainsi que les problèmes qu’elle cherche à résoudre, tandis que l’ énoncé de vision présente dans les grandes lignes votre stratégie pour y parvenir.

Votre plan stratégique doit inclure vos énoncés de mission et de vision, mais pas seulement. En théorie, ces énoncés pourraient rester inchangés pendant toute la durée de vie de votre entreprise. Votre plan stratégique s’en inspire et présente les actions que vous allez entreprendre pour avancer dans la bonne direction. 

Par exemple, si votre entreprise produit des équipements de sécurité pour les animaux de compagnie, voici à quoi pourraient ressembler votre énoncé de mission, votre énoncé de vision et votre plan stratégique :

Énoncé de mission : « Assurer la sécurité des animaux du monde entier » 

Énoncé de vision : « Créer des équipements faciles à utiliser pour la sécurité et le suivi des animaux » 

Votre plan stratégique présente les étapes à suivre au cours des prochaines années pour rapprocher votre entreprise de sa mission et de sa vision. Par exemple, développer un nouveau collier intelligent de localisation ou rendre les micropuces plus simples à utiliser pour les propriétaires d’animaux de compagnie. 

Plan stratégique ou objectifs de l’entreprise ?

Les objectifs de l’entreprise sont d’ordre général. Vous devez les fixer chaque année, voire chaque trimestre si votre organisation évolue rapidement. Ces objectifs donnent à votre équipe une idée claire de ce que vous souhaitez accomplir pendant une période donnée. 

Votre plan stratégique est davantage tourné vers l’avenir que vos objectifs d’entreprise, et il doit s’étendre sur plus d’une année de travail. Pour faire simple, vos objectifs d’entreprise s’inscrivent dans votre stratégie globale, mais votre plan stratégique doit aller au-delà de vos objectifs d’entreprise et couvrir plusieurs années.

Plan stratégique ou business case ?

Un business case (ou étude d’opportunité) est un document censé vous aider à présenter un investissement significatif ou une initiative pour votre entreprise. Lorsque vous créez un business case, vous expliquez pourquoi cet investissement est une bonne idée et en quoi ce projet de grande envergure aura des répercussions positives sur l’entreprise . 

Vous finirez peut-être par créer des business case pour certaines parties de la feuille de route de votre plan stratégique, mais ce dernier doit avoir une portée plus large. Ne vous limitez pas à une seule initiative : vous devez englober plusieurs années de feuille de route pour l’ensemble de votre entreprise.

Plan stratégique ou plan de projet ?

Votre plan stratégique définit les objectifs que vous voulez atteindre à l’échelle de l’entreprise dans les trois à cinq années à venir et la façon dont vous comptez y parvenir. Votre plan de projet sert quant à lui à définir la façon dont vous allez accomplir un projet spécifique. Ce projet peut faire partie des nombreuses initiatives visant à atteindre un objectif donné, qui fait lui-même partie des nombreux objectifs de votre plan stratégique. 

Un plan de projet se divise en sept parties :

Indicateurs de réussite

Parties prenantes et rôles

Portée et budget

Jalons et livrables

Chronologie et planning

Plan de communication

En quoi consiste la planification stratégique ?

Le processus de planification stratégique consiste à créer un plan pour atteindre vos objectifs stratégiques. Ce processus se divise en plusieurs parties, dont la collecte d’informations, le développement d’une stratégie et la gestion des performances une fois le plan mis en place.

Quand créer un plan stratégique ?

Votre plan stratégique vous aide à définir et présenter le cap que va suivre votre entreprise pour les trois à cinq prochaines années. Dans ce plan, vous pouvez prévoir des investissements et initiatives clés, expliquer en quoi ces initiatives majeures vous aideront à accomplir la mission et la vision de votre entreprise, et présenter en détail les liens entre vos projets quotidiens et ces initiatives commerciales. Si votre équipe ou votre entreprise ne suivent pas de plan stratégique pour le moment, le moment est venu d’en créer un. Si c’est déjà le cas, mettez-le à jour une fois que vous aurez atteint la plupart ou l’ensemble de vos objectifs. 

Essayez de créer un plan stratégique tous les trois à cinq ans, en fonction de la vitesse de fonctionnement de votre entreprise. Si elle évolue rapidement, nous vous conseillons de créer un plan stratégique tous les deux à trois ans pour tenir compte de l’émergence ou de l’évolution des priorités commerciales.

Les avantages de la planification stratégique

Lorsque vous créez un plan stratégique, vous fixez les objectifs précis à atteindre pour mener à bien votre énoncé de mission et votre énoncé de vision dans un délai de trois à cinq ans. Imaginons que la trajectoire de votre entreprise est une ligne sur une carte. Ici, votre plan stratégique vous aidera à déterminer la meilleure façon de vous rendre du point A (où vous vous trouvez actuellement) au point B (où vous voulez être dans quelques années).

La création et le partage d’un plan stratégique avec votre équipe vous permettent de :

Rassembler tout le monde autour d’une mission commune

Vous fixer des objectifs de façon proactive pour avancer sur la bonne voie

Définir des objectifs à long terme, puis fixer des objectifs à court terme pour les soutenir

Évaluer votre situation actuelle et identifier les éventuelles opportunités ou menaces

Aider votre entreprise à être plus durable en réfléchissant à long terme

Stimuler la motivation et l’engagement

Les 5 étapes de planification stratégique

La création du plan stratégique doit être prise en charge par une équipe de quelques parties prenantes clés. Ce groupe, parfois appelé comité de gestion, est composé de cinq à dix parties prenantes et décisionnaires de l’entreprise. Il ne s’agira pas des seules personnes impliquées, mais ce sont elles qui dirigeront le travail. 

Une fois que vous avez monté le comité de gestion, vous pouvez entamer le processus de planification stratégique. 

Étape 1 : déterminer votre situation actuelle

Avant de créer votre plan stratégique et de définir vos objectifs, vous devez savoir où vous en êtes. Pour ce faire, votre comité de gestion va recueillir diverses informations auprès d’autres parties prenantes (employés et clients, par exemple), notamment :

Des données pertinentes sur le secteur et sur le marché pour identifier les opportunités commerciales et les éventuelles menaces imminentes.

Des retours client pour comprendre ce que vos clients attendent de votre entreprise (amélioration de produits, services supplémentaires, etc.).

Des retours d’employés à propos du produit, des pratiques commerciales ou de la culture d’entreprise.

Une analyse SWOT afin d’évaluer les opportunités actuelles et futures pour votre entreprise. SWOT est un acronyme issu de l’anglais : strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (forces, faiblesses, opportunités et menaces). Vous consulterez régulièrement cette analyse pendant le processus de planification opérationnelle. 

Pour évaluer chaque paramètre de l’analyse SWOT, votre comité de gestion répondra à toute une série de questions :

À l’heure actuelle, quels sont les domaines où votre organisation excelle ?

Qu’est-ce qui vous distingue de vos concurrents ?

Quelles sont vos ressources internes les plus précieuses ?

Quels biens matériels possédez-vous ?

Quelle est votre plus grande force ? 

Faiblesses :

Quels sont les domaines où votre organisation a des difficultés ?

Qu’est-ce qui vous manque à l’heure actuelle (produit, ressource, processus) ?

Dans quels domaines vos concurrents sont-ils plus performants que vous ?

Quelles éventuelles limites freinent votre organisation ?

Quels processus ou produits doivent être améliorés ?

Opportunités :

Quelles opportunités votre organisation peut-elle saisir ?

Comment pouvez-vous tirer parti des forces propres à votre entreprise ?

Y a-t-il des tendances dont vous pouvez tirer parti ?

Comment pouvez-vous tirer profit des opportunités en matière de marketing ou de couverture médiatique ?

Votre produit ou service répond-il à un besoin émergent ? 

Sur quels nouveaux concurrents devez-vous garder un œil ?

Votre organisation a-t-elle des faiblesses qui l’exposent à des risques ?

Avez-vous fait l’objet ou êtes-vous susceptible de faire l’objet d’une mauvaise presse qui réduirait votre part de marché ?

Quelles sont les chances pour que l’attitude des clients envers votre entreprise change ?

Étape 2 : développez votre stratégie

C’est là que la magie opère. Pour développer votre stratégie, prenez en compte votre situation actuelle. Ensuite, inspirez-vous de vos documents commerciaux d’origine, qui présentent votre objectif final. Pour développer votre stratégie, l’idée est de sortir une boussole et de vous demander « et maintenant, où va-t-on ? ». C’est de cette façon que vous pourrez identifier la marche exacte à suivre. 

Pendant cette phase du processus de planification, inspirez-vous des documents clés de votre entreprise pour veiller à la faire avancer sur la bonne voie. Penchez-vous notamment sur les documents suivants :

Votre énoncé de mission , pour savoir comment continuer à progresser vers l’objectif principal de votre organisation.

Votre énoncé de vision , pour définir comment votre plan stratégique s’intègre à votre vision à long terme.

Les valeurs de votre entreprise , pour respecter ce qui compte le plus pour votre entreprise. 

Vos avantages concurrentiels, pour comprendre quel avantage unique vous offrez sur le marché.

Vos objectifs à long terme, pour définir où vous voudrez être dans cinq ou dix ans.

Vos projections financières , pour cerner vos attentes pour les trois prochaines années : états financiers, trésorerie et nouvelles opportunités dans lesquelles vous pourriez investir.

Étape 3 : créez votre plan stratégique

Maintenant que vous avez fait le point sur votre situation actuelle et sur vos objectifs, le moment est venu de coucher vos idées sur papier. Le plan à l’échelle de votre organisation sur les trois à cinq prochaines années doit prendre en compte votre situation actuelle et votre stratégie. Gardez à l’esprit que, même si vous mettez en œuvre un plan à long terme, les différents éléments de votre plan stratégique doivent être créés au fil des trimestres et des années.

Lors de la création de votre plan stratégique, définissez les éléments suivants :

Les priorités de votre entreprise pour les trois à cinq prochaines années, en vous basant sur votre analyse SWOT et votre stratégie.

Vos objectifs annuels pour la première année. Nul besoin de définir vos objectifs pour toutes les années de votre plan stratégique. Au fil des ans, vous allez créer de nouveaux objectifs annuels en accord avec vos objectifs stratégiques globaux. 

Les résultats clés et indicateurs clés de performances associés à vos objectifs pour la première année. Une partie de ceux-ci doivent être définis par le comité de gestion et l’autre partie par chacune des équipes concernées, qui connaissent bien le projet. Veillez à ce que vos résultats clés et indicateurs clés de performance soient mesurables et exploitables.

Votre budget pour l’année ou les quelques années à venir. Ce budget doit être basé sur vos prévisions financières et sur votre stratégie. Comptez-vous faire de grosses dépenses pour développer votre produit ? Agrandir votre équipe ? Mettre les bouchées doubles sur le marketing ? Mettez le doigt sur vos principales initiatives et sur leur place dans votre budget.

Une feuille de route globale. En gestion de projet , une feuille de route est un outil qui vous aide à visualiser le déroulement d’une initiative complexe. Vous pouvez aussi créer une feuille de route de projet à très grande échelle pour votre plan stratégique. Pour rendre le plan plus exploitable et compréhensible, exposez dans les grandes lignes les tâches sur lesquelles vous comptez travailler pendant certains trimestres ou années.

Étape 4 : partagez, surveillez et gérez votre plan stratégique

À ce stade, vous devriez avoir créé votre plan stratégique. Dernière étape du processus de planification : surveiller et gérer votre plan.

Partagez votre plan stratégique . Ne vous contentez pas de le ranger au fond d’un tiroir. Donnez-en l’accès aux membres de votre équipe et aidez-les à comprendre en quoi leur travail contribue aux objectifs de l’entreprise et à votre plan stratégique global. Nous vous conseillons de partager votre plan dans l’outil que vous utilisez pour surveiller et gérer votre travail, de façon à pouvoir plus facilement faire le lien entre vos objectifs généraux et vos tâches quotidiennes. Si ce n’est pas déjà le cas, pensez à utiliser un outil de gestion du travail .

Mettez régulièrement à jour votre plan (tous les trimestres et tous les ans). Basez vos objectifs à court terme sur votre plan stratégique. Sachez que ce dernier n’est pas gravé dans le marbre : vous devrez sûrement le mettre à jour si votre entreprise décide de changer de cap ou d’effectuer de nouveaux investissements. En cas de nouvelles opportunités commerciales ou menaces, vous voudrez sûrement ajuster votre plan stratégique pour guider votre organisation dans la meilleure direction possible pour les prochaines années.

N’oubliez pas que votre plan ne durera pas éternellement, même si vous le mettez fréquemment à jour. Une fois que vous avez atteint vos objectifs les plus stratégiques ou si votre stratégie a beaucoup évolué depuis la création de votre plan, le moment est peut-être venu d’en créer un nouveau. 

Tenez-vous-en au plan

Pour transformer la stratégie de votre entreprise en plan et ainsi optimiser votre impact, vous devez faire le lien entre vos objectifs professionnels et votre travail quotidien. En établissant clairement ce lien, vous offrez aux membres de votre équipe le contexte dont ils ont besoin pour donner le meilleur d’eux-mêmes. Une fois les priorités clairement établies, ils peuvent se concentrer sur les initiatives qui ont le plus d’impact sur l’entreprise, ce qui renforcera sûrement leur engagement.

Vous voulez vous lancer ? Découvrez comment faire le lien entre vos objectifs et votre travail quotidien grâce à Asana .

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Business plan : 10 questions que tous les futurs créateurs d’entreprise se posent

Tout le monde en parle, mais qui sait réellement à quoi sert un business plan, ce qu’il contient, comment on le rédige ? Voilà tout ce que vous devez savoir et que vous n’avez peut-être jamais osé demander avant de réaliser un business plan

1/ Business plan : pourquoi est-il autant redouté ?

Objet de tous les a priori et sujet d’une littérature abondante, le business plan fait souvent peur aux   créateurs d’entreprises . D’abord parce qu’il contient des   prévisions financières   pas toujours faciles à appréhender, ensuite parce qu’il impose de prendre la plume et de formaliser ses idées par écrit. Pas évident pour tout le monde ! Considéré comme un exercice fastidieux, formel, parfois douloureux, il est au mieux fait à la vite, au pire totalement délaissé. Et pourtant, la réalisation de ce document – allié de tous les jours – n’a rien d’insurmontable. Il suffit de suivre quelques règles de base.

2/ À quoi sert-il au juste ?

D’abord,   le business plan aide le créateur   à construire son projet, à vérifier sa faisabilité et à le mettre sur les bons rails.{" "} ll permet de mettre à plat le projet et d’avoir une démarche et une stratégie réfléchies q>, explique Margaux Derhy, membre de l’Institut Jean-Baptiste Say et fondatrice de  La Petite Étoile   (accompagnement dans la réussite d’un projet entrepreneurial).

Ensuite,   le plan d’affaires   (c’est le petit nom du business plan en français) sert à   convaincre les partenaires bancaires ou les investisseurs . Dès que vous voudrez participer à un concours,   effectuer une demande de prêt  , lever des fonds, négocier avec un gros client… on vous en demandera un.

3/ Tous les créateurs doivent-ils faire un business plan ?

Oui et re-oui ! Comme évoqué, le business plan sert de boussole au créateur. Cependant, si vous lancez un commerce de proximité ou une petite activité de services, inutile d’en faire trop. Une version allégée vous permettant d’y voir clair dans votre projet et présentant vos prévisions financières sera suffisante.  L’élaboration d’un business plan détaillé est en revanche obligatoire pour les start-up, surtout si elles veulent concourir pour obtenir des prix ou lever des fonds , précise Margaux Derhy.

4/ À quoi ressemble-t-il ?

Un business plan est composé de deux parties distinctes :

• une partie rédactionnelle
• une partie chiffrée avec des tableaux.

Sur la forme de votre business plan , un seul impératif : faire simple et efficace. :

• limitez-vous à 30 ou 40 pages (annexes comprises),
• aérez les paragraphes (pas plus de 10 lignes),
• gardez des marges honnêtes,
• n’utilisez que 2 polices différentes,
• détachez les titres et sous-titres (gras, italiques…).

Pensez à vos lecteurs, souvent submergés et pressés, et n’hésitez pas à mettre en exergue les passages importants et à faire un mini sommaire. Cela facilitera une première lecture en diagonale ou la recherche d’informations spécifiques.

5/ Que contient la partie rédactionnelle du business plan ?

Il faut ici démontrer la pertinence du projet et détailler sa valeur ajoutée. Partez du principe que vous allez raconter une belle histoire. Commencez par vous présenter et expliquez comment vous est venue l’idée de votre projet. Entrez ensuite dans le vif du sujet.  Les éléments de l’étude de marché   que vous avez réalisée en amont doivent être repris et surtout analysés.

Lors de la rédaction de votre business plan, prévoyez un paragraphe sur :

• le marché,
• votre offre,
• la concurrence,
• la clientèle,
• le mode de distribution,
• votre valeur ajoutée,
• les actions prévues à moyen et long terme (commerciales, développement produit, marketing…)

Construisez votre démarche avec des arguments pertinents, qui vont droit au but.

Les porteurs de projet doivent insister sur le caractère différenciant de leur produit, ce qu’il apporte de novateur pour le client , conseille Évelyne Scuto-Gaillard, directrice du développement et Support Innovation chez BpiFrance.

6/ Quels tableaux financiers intégrer dans la partie financière ?

Voilà la partie tant redoutée ! Pas de pression, vous ajusterez vos prévisions au fil du temps. Les partenaires financiers le savent : Ils cherchent surtout à savoir si l’ensemble du projet est “financièrement” cohérent. Pour le leur prouver, vous réaliserez 4 tableaux prévisionnels :

• Le plan de financement initial  : Il indique de combien d’argent vous devez disposer pour vous lancer et d’où cet argent provient. On y retrouve les investissements de départ, les fonds que vous apportez, les emprunts… Il se présente sous la forme d’un tableau à 2 colonnes : d’un côté les ressources (l’argent que vous, ou d’autres, amenez), de l’autre, les emplois ou besoins (comment sera utilisé cet argent).
• Le compte de résultat  : Ce tableau recense les recettes (chiffre d’affaires issu des ventes) et les charges fixes de l’entreprise (loyers, communication, salaires…) sur une période de trois ans. La différence entre les deux colonnes permet de vérifier que le chiffre d’affaires prévisionnel est suffisant pour couvrir l’ensemble des dépenses prévisionnelles.
• Le plan de trésorerie  : Il permet de savoir si vous aurez suffisamment d’argent pour vivre le temps que vos clients vous paient. Ce tableau à double entrée, avec d’un côté les encaissements, de l’autre les décaissements, est à remplir mois par mois.
• Le plan de financement à trois ans  : C’est une projection vers le futur. Il recense avec anticipation tous les besoins durables nouveaux et toutes les ressources financières nouvelles qui vont apparaître au fur et à mesure de l’évolution de votre entreprise.

7/ Construire un business plan : peut-on le faire seul ?

Oui et non ! Oui, parce que vous devez connaître vos chiffres, vos prévisions, les défendre, les expliquer, et savoir où vous allez. Après tout, c’est vous qui serez amené à présenter le business plan à vos partenaires financiers. Non, car certains aspects du business plan - notamment la partie financière - peuvent vous échapper si vous n’êtes ni matheux, ni financier. Dans ce cas,   n’hésitez pas à vous faire aider   par :

• un expert-comptable,
• votre partenaire bancaire
• un réseau d’accompagnement à la création d’entreprise comme Initiative France ou BGE.

Tous sont rodés à cet exercice et vous seront d’une aide précieuse.

8/ Les modèles en lignes sont-ils fiables ?

Il existe des dizaines de sites proposant de   réaliser des business plans en ligne . Gratuits ou payants, ils permettent d’obtenir des tableaux préremplis. L’avantage : la rapidité. L’inconvénient : la fiabilité des données. Si pour des raisons X ou Y, vous faites ce choix, faites a minima vérifier les tableaux par des spécialistes (conseillers dans les CCI ou les réseaux d’accompagnement) et surtout cherchez à comprendre les résultats envoyés.

9/ Pourquoi dit-on qu’un business plan évolue dans le temps ?

Le business plan est un outil vivant qu’il faut remanier régulièrement. Une nouvelle subvention, un prix revu à la baisse, l’arrivée au capital d’un associé… A chaque changement, vous devez faire une mise à jour. On dit souvent que lorsque le business plan d’une start-up est bouclé, il est déjà obsolète , explique Olivier Kersalé, responsable du pôle innovation d’Initiative France. Sachez-le, il n’y aura pas une mais plusieurs versions du document.

10/ C’est quoi l’elevator pitch ?

C’est l’art et la manière de présenter oralement son business plan. Que vous ayez affaire à des partenaires bancaires ou à des investisseurs, voire à des jurys pour obtenir un prêt d’honneur ou pour entrer dans un accélérateur, il faudra être capable de résumer en quelques minutes (3 à en moyenne pour des concours de pitch) votre projet. N’hésitez pas à vous entraîner, montre en main.

Pour continuer votre lecture

14 Reasons Why You Need a Business Plan

10 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

There’s no question that starting and running a business is hard work. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. And, one of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of success is to have a business plan.

A business plan is a foundational document that is essential for any company, no matter the size or age. From attracting potential investors to keeping your business on track—a business plan helps you achieve important milestones and grow in the right direction.

A business plan isn’t just a document you put together once when starting your business. It’s a living, breathing guide for existing businesses – one that business owners should revisit and update regularly.

Unfortunately, writing a business plan is often a daunting task for potential entrepreneurs. So, do you really need a business plan? Is it really worth the investment of time and resources? Can’t you just wing it and skip the whole planning process?

Good questions. Here’s every reason why you need a business plan.

• 1. Business planning is proven to help you grow 30 percent faster

Writing a business plan isn’t about producing a document that accurately predicts the future of your company. The  process  of writing your plan is what’s important. Writing your plan and reviewing it regularly gives you a better window into what you need to do to achieve your goals and succeed. 

You don’t have to just take our word for it. Studies have  proven that companies that plan  and review their results regularly grow 30 percent faster. Beyond faster growth, research also shows that companies that plan actually perform better. They’re less likely to become one of those woeful failure statistics, or experience  cash flow crises  that threaten to close them down. 

• 2. Planning is a necessary part of the fundraising process

One of the top reasons to have a business plan is to make it easier to raise money for your business. Without a business plan, it’s difficult to know how much money you need to raise, how you will spend the money once you raise it, and what your budget should be.

Investors want to know that you have a solid plan in place – that your business is headed in the right direction and that there is long-term potential in your venture. 

A business plan shows that your business is serious and that there are clearly defined steps on how it aims to become successful. It also demonstrates that you have the necessary competence to make that vision a reality. 

Investors, partners, and creditors will want to see detailed financial forecasts for your business that shows how you plan to grow and how you plan on spending their money. 

• 3. Having a business plan minimizes your risk

When you’re just starting out, there’s so much you don’t know—about your customers, your competition, and even about operations. 

As a business owner, you signed up for some of that uncertainty when you started your business, but there’s a lot you can  do to reduce your risk . Creating and reviewing your business plan regularly is a great way to uncover your weak spots—the flaws, gaps, and assumptions you’ve made—and develop contingency plans. 

Your business plan will also help you define budgets and revenue goals. And, if you’re not meeting your goals, you can quickly adjust spending plans and create more realistic budgets to keep your business healthy.

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• 4. Crafts a roadmap to achieve important milestones

A business plan is like a roadmap for your business. It helps you set, track and reach business milestones. 

For your plan to function in this way, your business plan should first outline your company’s short- and long-term goals. You can then fill in the specific steps necessary to reach those goals. This ensures that you measure your progress (or lack thereof) and make necessary adjustments along the way to stay on track while avoiding costly detours.

In fact, one of the top reasons why new businesses fail is due to bad business planning. Combine this with inflexibility and you have a recipe for disaster.

And planning is not just for startups. Established businesses benefit greatly from revisiting their business plan. It keeps them on track, even when the global market rapidly shifts as we’ve seen in recent years.

• 5. A plan helps you figure out if your idea can become a business

To turn your idea into reality, you need to accurately assess the feasibility of your business idea.

You need to verify:

• If there is a market for your product or service
• Who your target audience is
• How you will gain an edge over the current competition
• If your business can run profitably

A business plan forces you to take a step back and look at your business objectively, which makes it far easier to make tough decisions down the road. Additionally, a business plan helps you to identify risks and opportunities early on, providing you with the necessary time to come up with strategies to address them properly.

Finally, a business plan helps you work through the nuts and bolts of how your business will work financially and if it can become sustainable over time.

6. You’ll make big spending decisions with confidence

As your business grows, you’ll have to figure out when to hire new employees, when to expand to a new location, or whether you can afford a major purchase. 

These are always major spending decisions, and if you’re regularly reviewing the forecasts you mapped out in your business plan, you’re going to have better information to use to make your decisions.

7. You’re more likely to catch critical cash flow challenges early

The other side of those major spending decisions is understanding and monitoring your business’s cash flow. Your  cash flow statement  is one of the three key financial statements you’ll put together for your business plan. (The other two are your  balance sheet  and your  income statement  (P&L). 

Reviewing your cash flow statement regularly as part of your regular business plan review will help you see potential cash flow challenges earlier so you can take action to avoid a cash crisis where you can’t pay your bills. 

• 8. Position your brand against the competition

Competitors are one of the factors that you need to take into account when starting a business. Luckily, competitive research is an integral part of writing a business plan. It encourages you to ask questions like:

• What is your competition doing well? What are they doing poorly?
• What can you do to set yourself apart?
• What can you learn from them?
• How can you make your business stand out?
• What key business areas can you outcompete?
• How can you identify your target market?

Finding answers to these questions helps you solidify a strategic market position and identify ways to differentiate yourself. It also proves to potential investors that you’ve done your homework and understand how to compete. 

• 9. Determines financial needs and revenue models

A vital part of starting a business is understanding what your expenses will be and how you will generate revenue to cover those expenses. Creating a business plan helps you do just that while also defining ongoing financial needs to keep in mind. 

Without a business model, it’s difficult to know whether your business idea will generate revenue. By detailing how you plan to make money, you can effectively assess the viability and scalability of your business. 

Understanding this early on can help you avoid unnecessary risks and start with the confidence that your business is set up to succeed.

• 10. Helps you think through your marketing strategy

A business plan is a great way to document your marketing plan. This will ensure that all of your marketing activities are aligned with your overall goals. After all, a business can’t grow without customers and you’ll need a strategy for acquiring those customers. 

Your business plan should include information about your target market, your marketing strategy, and your marketing budget. Detail things like how you plan to attract and retain customers, acquire new leads, how the digital marketing funnel will work, etc. 

Having a documented marketing plan will help you to automate business operations, stay on track and ensure that you’re making the most of your marketing dollars.

• 11. Clarifies your vision and ensures everyone is on the same page

In order to create a successful business, you need a clear vision and a plan for how you’re going to achieve it. This is all detailed with your mission statement, which defines the purpose of your business, and your personnel plan, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of current and future employees. Together, they establish the long-term vision you have in mind and who will need to be involved to get there. 

Additionally, your business plan is a great tool for getting your team in sync. Through consistent plan reviews, you can easily get everyone in your company on the same page and direct your workforce toward tasks that truly move the needle.

• 12. Future-proof your business

A business plan helps you to evaluate your current situation and make realistic projections for the future.

This is an essential step in growing your business, and it’s one that’s often overlooked. When you have a business plan in place, it’s easier to identify opportunities and make informed decisions based on data.

Therefore, it requires you to outline goals, strategies, and tactics to help the organization stay focused on what’s important.

By regularly revisiting your business plan, especially when the global market changes, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever challenges come your way, and pivot faster.

You’ll also be in a better position to seize opportunities as they arise.

Further Reading: 5 fundamental principles of business planning

• 13. Tracks your progress and measures success

An often overlooked purpose of a business plan is as a tool to define success metrics. A key part of writing your plan involves pulling together a viable financial plan. This includes financial statements such as your profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, and sales forecast.

By housing these financial metrics within your business plan, you suddenly have an easy way to relate your strategy to actual performance. You can track progress, measure results, and follow up on how the company is progressing. Without a plan, it’s almost impossible to gauge whether you’re on track or not.  

Additionally, by evaluating your successes and failures, you learn what works and what doesn’t and you can make necessary changes to your plan. In short, having a business plan gives you a framework for measuring your success. It also helps with building up a “lessons learned” knowledge database to avoid costly mistakes in the future.

• 14. Your business plan is an asset if you ever want to sell

Down the road, you might decide that you want to sell your business or position yourself for acquisition. Having a solid business plan is going to help you make the case for a higher valuation. Your business is likely to be worth more to a buyer if it’s easy for them to understand your business model, your target market, and your overall potential to grow and scale. 

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• Writing your business plan

By taking the time to create a business plan, you ensure that your business is heading in the right direction and that you have a roadmap to get there. We hope that this post has shown you just how important and valuable a business plan can be. While it may still seem daunting, the benefits far outweigh the time investment and learning curve for writing one. 

Luckily, you can write a plan in as little as 30 minutes. And there are plenty of excellent planning tools and business plan templates out there if you’re looking for more step-by-step guidance. Whatever it takes, write your plan and you’ll quickly see how useful it can be.

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

Table of Contents

• 6. You’ll make big spending decisions with confidence
• 7. You’re more likely to catch critical cash flow challenges early

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How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:59am

Table of Contents

Brainstorm an executive summary, create a company description, brainstorm your business goals, describe your services or products, conduct market research, create financial plans, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

Every business starts with a vision, which is distilled and communicated through a business plan. In addition to your high-level hopes and dreams, a strong business plan outlines short-term and long-term goals, budget and whatever else you might need to get started. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a business plan that you can stick to and help guide your operations as you get started.

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Drafting the Summary

An executive summary is an extremely important first step in your business. You have to be able to put the basic facts of your business in an elevator pitch-style sentence to grab investors’ attention and keep their interest. This should communicate your business’s name, what the products or services you’re selling are and what marketplace you’re entering.

Ask for Help

When drafting the executive summary, you should have a few different options. Enlist a few thought partners to review your executive summary possibilities to determine which one is best.

After you have the executive summary in place, you can work on the company description, which contains more specific information. In the description, you’ll need to include your business’s registered name , your business address and any key employees involved in the business. 

The business description should also include the structure of your business, such as sole proprietorship , limited liability company (LLC) , partnership or corporation. This is the time to specify how much of an ownership stake everyone has in the company. Finally, include a section that outlines the history of the company and how it has evolved over time.

Wherever you are on the business journey, you return to your goals and assess where you are in meeting your in-progress targets and setting new goals to work toward.

Numbers-based Goals

Goals can cover a variety of sections of your business. Financial and profit goals are a given for when you’re establishing your business, but there are other goals to take into account as well with regard to brand awareness and growth. For example, you might want to hit a certain number of followers across social channels or raise your engagement rates.

Another goal could be to attract new investors or find grants if you’re a nonprofit business. If you’re looking to grow, you’ll want to set revenue targets to make that happen as well.

Intangible Goals

Goals unrelated to traceable numbers are important as well. These can include seeing your business’s advertisement reach the general public or receiving a terrific client review. These goals are important for the direction you take your business and the direction you want it to go in the future.

The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you’re offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit in the current market or are providing something necessary or entirely new. If you have any patents or trademarks, this is where you can include those too.

If you have any visual aids, they should be included here as well. This would also be a good place to include pricing strategy and explain your materials.

This is the part of the business plan where you can explain your expertise and different approach in greater depth. Show how what you’re offering is vital to the market and fills an important gap.

You can also situate your business in your industry and compare it to other ones and how you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Other than financial goals, you want to have a budget and set your planned weekly, monthly and annual spending. There are several different costs to consider, such as operational costs.

Business Operations Costs

Rent for your business is the first big cost to factor into your budget. If your business is remote, the cost that replaces rent will be the software that maintains your virtual operations.

Marketing and sales costs should be next on your list. Devoting money to making sure people know about your business is as important as making sure it functions.

Other Costs

Although you can’t anticipate disasters, there are likely to be unanticipated costs that come up at some point in your business’s existence. It’s important to factor these possible costs into your financial plans so you’re not caught totally unaware.

Business plans are important for businesses of all sizes so that you can define where your business is and where you want it to go. Growing your business requires a vision, and giving yourself a roadmap in the form of a business plan will set you up for success.

How do I write a simple business plan?

When you’re working on a business plan, make sure you have as much information as possible so that you can simplify it to the most relevant information. A simple business plan still needs all of the parts included in this article, but you can be very clear and direct.

What are some common mistakes in a business plan?

The most common mistakes in a business plan are common writing issues like grammar errors or misspellings. It’s important to be clear in your sentence structure and proofread your business plan before sending it to any investors or partners.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.

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Formation Business plan

Le format Inter-entreprise désigne une formation se déroulant dans les locaux de l’organisme de formation.

Le tarif est fixé par participant.

La formation intra-entreprise se déroule dans les locaux de l’entreprise qui souhaite entreprendre la formation.

La mobilité du CNFCE est nationale et internationale.

Le tarif est fixé par jour/par groupe.

Une formation sur mesure est une formation construite spécifiquement autour des besoins et attentes particulières de l’entreprise cliente. Cette notion de sur-mesure intègre le contenu mais aussi le format souhaité par le client.

La formation sur-mesure se déroule dans les locaux de l’entreprise qui souhaite entreprendre la formation.

• En 2023, 87% de clients satisfaits

Formation business plan : Maîtriser les fondamentaux pour bâtir un plan de développement efficace

Qu'est-ce qu'un business plan ?  Comment réaliser un bon business plan ? Le business plan est un document permettant d'organiser et de présenter votre stratégie financière et commerciale autour d'un projet. Il vous permet de poser vos ambitions, vos objectifs et les ressources nécessaires à la réussite de ce projet. Notre  formation bâtir un business plan vous donnera des outils pragmatiques et simples pour établir une feuille de route efficace et élaborer un dossier complet.

A la suite de ce stage d'une durée de 3 jours, vous serez en mesure de respecter toutes les étapes clés de ce plan de développement , de l'analyse du marché au montage du dossier financier. 

Objectifs pédagogiques de la formation Business plan

• Être capable de bâtir un business plan et de savoir le défendre
• Envisager et limiter les risques liés au projet, identifier les choix stratégiques permettant la réussite du projet
• Établir un plan de financement prévisionnel pour votre projet ou votre entreprise

Appréhender le business plan d'un projet dans son ensemble

• Qu'est-ce qu'un business plan ?
• Savoir développer et présenter son offre et identifier le marché concerné par son projet
• Capitaliser sur le fondement de l'entreprise 
• Maîtriser les points de financement de ce plan de développement 

Présenter son offre du business plan et son organisation efficacement

• Présentation de son équipe et son organisation, identifier les ressources humaines
• Développer les intérêts du produit ou de son offre
• Etre en mesure de développer ses spécificités techniques
• Capitaliser sur les produits existants et ses concurrents

Réaliser l'analyse du marché dans son business plan : les procédures clés 

• Comment réaliser (concept) et présenter son étude de marché
• S'informer sur les tendances et les moeurs relatives à son projet
• Les clients et la zone de chalandise, identifier sa concurrence 

Construire sa stratégie commerciale et développer les moyens à mettre en oeuvre

• Assimiler la notion de distribution : Qui, quoi, où et comment distribuer ?
• Comprendre les procédés de mise en place d'une approche marketing, d'une image commerciale
• Appréhender les moyens humains et les moyens matériels 

Assurer le montage juridique et financier de son projet dans le cadre d'un business plan

• Maîtriser la rédaction des statuts d'une entreprise et le choix de la forme juridique
• Prendre connaissances des modalités concernant la constitution du capital et les différents partenariats

Le montage du dossier financier : conclusion de la formation 

• Bilan de départ ou plan de financement initial, le compte de résultat à trois ans
• Plan de trésorerie à douze mois
• Calcul du point mort ou du seuil de rentabilité
• Plan de financement à trois ans
• Evaluer les risques liés à son offre

Publics & pré-requis

Public cible.

• Trésoriers
• Contrôleurs de gestion / budgétaire
• Futurs créateurs d'entreprise

Des notions de comptabilité et de budget sont recommandées pour suivre la formation business plan

Méthodes pédagogiques

• Apports théoriques et pratiques
• Études de cas
• Simulation d'un business plan
• Support de cours formation business plan
• Auto évaluation préalable en amont de la formation
• Évaluation des acquis en fin de formation

Nos avis clients

Stéphanie P. - Responsable de formation

SUEZ eau France

Marilyne J. - Chargée de formation

Graziella - Responsable RH

ORSAC Mont-Fleuri

Camille A. - Assistante de Direction RH

Petites Sœurs des Pauvres

Mégane - Chef de projets

Crous de Paris

Sandrine - Responsable formation

Nos formateurs sont retenus pour leurs qualités pédagogiques, leur expérience et leur sympathie.

Nos conseillers pédagogiques se dévouent pour répondre à vos demandes dans les 48 heures.

Professionnalisme

Nous mettons notre expertise au service de la satisfaction de nos clients.

Nous nous réinventons chaque jour pour assurer une qualité de service maximale à nos clients.

Formations complémentaires

Évaluation financière d'une entreprise - fin.06.

Maîtrisez rapidement les techniques et méthodes d'évaluation financière d'une entreprise avec notre formation évaluation financière, sur 2 jours.

Inter : 1 610,00 € HT / stagiaire

Intra : 4 740,00 € HT / groupe

Tableau de bord en gestion des risques client - FIN.13

Élaborez des tableaux de bord permettant d'établir la solvabilité d'une entreprise avec notre formation tableau de bord en gestion des risque client.

Inter : 890,00 € HT / stagiaire

Intra : 1 580,00 € HT / groupe

Gestion de trésorerie - FIN.07

Optimisez le budget de votre entreprise en gérant efficacement la gestion de trésorerie en suivant cette formation de 2 jours en inter/intra entreprise.

Inter : 1 490,00 € HT / stagiaire

Intra : 3 160,00 € HT / groupe

Gestion du risque fournisseur - FIN.14

Anticipez et gérez le risque achat avec vos fournisseurs en suivant notre formation à la gestion du risque fournisseur, en présentiel & à distance.

Travaux d'inventaire et opérations de fin d’exercice - CTB.03

Redécouvrez l’environnement fiscal de certaines opérations comptables en 2 jours avec la formation travaux d'inventaire en inter/intra entreprise.

Inter : 1 510,00 € HT / stagiaire

Intra : 3 020,00 € HT / groupe

Fiscalité des entreprises - CTB.04

Initiez-vous ou redécouvrez les généralités de l’environnement fiscal de l’entreprise avec notre formation à la fiscalité des entreprises, sur 2 jours.

Analyse financière - FIN.03

Analysez les éventuelles difficultés financières d'une entreprise et appréhendez la gestion de trésorerie avec la formation analyse financière, de 2 jours.

Inter : 1 550,00 € HT / stagiaire

Pourquoi choisir la formation Business plan

Se lancer dans la création d’entreprise nécessite de connaître les fondamentaux d’un business plan. Avant de présenter son projet, il est crucial de réunir certains éléments pour convaincre une banque ou des actionnaires, et recueillir un financement. En tant qu’outil de communication, il doit être en mesure de prouver la valeur du projet. Au-delà de l'obtention d'investissements extérieurs, le business plan est également un outil utile en interne. Il permet au chef d'entreprise de structurer sa création, sa reprise ou son développement d'entreprise.

Créer un business plan solide est indispensable pour assurer la viabilité financière d'un projet entrepreneurial. Cela permet d'éviter de se lancer dans la création d'entreprises ou de produits qui s'avéreraient non rentables. Une idée bonne qui peut engendrer un chiffre d'affaires suffisant nécessite des ressources humaines et financières. Dans ce contexte, le business plan constitue un support de choix pour lister les compétences, actions et autres éléments requis.

Cette étape de structuration d'un projet est aussi l'occasion d'adapter son business model. C'est utile en cas de projection d'un chiffre d'affaires trop bas les premières années ou lorsqu'un marché est simplement inexistant. Enfin, le business plan est un outil crucial pour l'équipe dirigeante et les futurs managers d'une entreprise. Il s'agit d'un document de référence pendant toute la phase de lancement d'un projet. Le business plan pourra ainsi faire office de fiche de route pendant les premières années d'activité de l'entreprise.

Ce programme de formation business plan vise à donner aux participants toutes les connaissances et ressources pour élaborer un business plan. Il offrira aux stagiaires une vision d'ensemble sur les enjeux liés à ce document et les compétences à développer pour le rédiger. Ce plan de formation s’articule autour d’une étude de marché, du business model et du montage juridique. Le formateur prendra le temps de se placer du point de vue du dirigeant, des investisseurs, mais aussi des futurs salariés. Les aspects liés aux ressources managériales sont ainsi abordés, car il est nécessaire de valoriser l’équipe s’intégrant autour du projet.

Chaque étape du business plan est ainsi traité, afin que vos collaborateurs, ou vous-même, soient en mesure de maîtriser les points cruciaux, et notamment le business model de l’entreprise. La formation élaborer un business plan se conclue par le montage juridique et financier, aspects stratégiques permettant d’évaluer la rentabilité du projet, résultat prévisionnel et mettre en place un plan de financement. Les méthodes pédagogiques sont composées de théorie et d’exercices pratiques, visant à garantir des résultats très rapidement.

Ce stage est proposé sur différents formats, un format présentiel ou un format en ligne. Les dates de nos prochaines sessions en inter entreprise sont disponibles sur le programme. Pour une formation dans vos locaux, nous vous invitons à nous contacter ou à demander un devis directement.

Vous souhaitez aller plus loin dans votre formation ou celle de vos collaborateurs dans un cadre de lancement de projet ? En complément de ce stage dédié au business plan, nous pouvons vous proposer des formations sur la gestion de trésorerie.

Foire aux questions formation Business plan

Proposons-nous la formation business plan en ligne ?

Oui, notre organisme de formation, le CNFCE, peut dispenser cette formation au business en ligne, au format classe virtuelle.

Nous sommes en mesure de former des équipes de 10 personnes, provenant de votre entreprise. Il est également possible de former un seul de vos collaborateurs, et de l'intégrer à une session avec des professionnels d'autres entreprises.

À qui s'adresse la formation Business plan ?

Ce stage de formation pour faire un business plan s’adresse à des professionnels en poste (cadres, contrôleurs de gestion etc.) et à de futurs créateurs d’entreprise. Il concerne également certains trésoriers et dirigeants de sociétés actuelles. Ainsi, ils sauront parfaitement réaliser une étude de marché, mieux connaître les cibles-clés et mieux s’adapter aux spécificités de leur activité, ainsi qu’à leurs concurrents.

Afin de suivre efficacement les différents modules de cette formation, il est préférable de posséder des notions en comptabilité, en gestion et en finances. Avant le premier jour de formation, les stagiaires devront réaliser une auto-évaluation. Cette démarche permettra au formateur du CNFCE d'adapter ses méthodes pédagogiques au niveau des participants. Plusieurs professionnels en poste dans votre entreprise souhaitent suivre la formation Business plan ?

Vous choisir de créer un programme de stage sur mesure, afin de l'adapter au niveau de vos équipes. Cela vous permet notamment de passer plus de temps sur un module ou une notion qui pose problème. Il est également possible de personnaliser cette formation aux enjeux d'un projet de création ou de reprise d'entreprise réel. En fonction de vos besoins, l'équipe pédagogique du CNFCE vous proposera des solutions adaptées à la formation continue de vos collaborateurs.

Quelle est la durée de la formation Business plan ?

La formation Business plan dispose d'une durée de 2 jours. Il est cependant possible de demander une adaptation du programme aux disponibilités des apprenants, dans le cadre d'un stage intra-entreprise.

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